"...But Whatever You Do..."

"I get so tired of people turning Dr. King into a dreamer.                               They made him safe. He was a revolutionary."                                                 -Doreen Loury, Sociology Professor at Arcadia University

Anyone can be a dreamer. It doesn't take much effort or skill. There's nothing dangerous, or even threatening, about a dreamer. Defining Dr. King as simply a dreamer is insulting to his memory. Yes, he was a dreamer but so are most of us. What set him apart was his refusal to be satisfied with dreaming. He refused to be refused. He kept moving forward. He continued to march on and requested the same of those around him.

Now some fifty years later, as I listen to the speeches, it isn't just the words of this inspiring man that stand out to me but the passion of the crowds shouting their agreement and I am left wondering, "When do we ever bother to get that fired up about something? What does it take to bring us to our feet or raise our arms with passion?"

We say we care about this cause or that but what are we doing about it? We take a stand by changing our profile picture to some symbol that tells the world (wait, no, tells our friends) we care, by clicking "share" or taking thirty seconds to sign an online petition but all of this just leaves me asking, "Do we actually care?"

Apathy wasn't an acceptable trait then and it shouldn't be now. When I listen to these speeches and hear the roar of the crowd; I am reminded that each of those individuals was also a dreamer who refused to be content with dreaming. They each had a passion inside setting them on fire and pushing them forward. Making a difference, then and now, requires action. We need to discover our own passion, our own fires and start marching forward or taking a stand.

What is it that gets you fired up? What will it take to bring you to your feet? 

Photo Source: www.ThinkAndGro.Com

Once Upon A Time...

The world keeps trying to sell me fairy tales. It used to just be the idea of a fairy tale but every now and then it actually tries to hand me one of my own. I'm not sure how I feel about that....

You see, the problem with fairy tales is that the only thing they are actually good for is telling really great stories. They aren't real and they always end way too soon. They don't give you the whole story or the whole picture. Fairy tales don't tell you about the "ever after". And what if the "ever after" doesn't look at all like you imagined?

What if "ever after" is actually late nights arguing about all the time your husband spends at work and not with you and your children? What if "ever after" is accompanied by a husband that falls into alcohol or drug addictions? What if "ever after" is an occasional night with your kids at the local Holiday Inn because you don't want to be around "Prince Charming" and his verbal abuse? What if "ever after" is boredom accompanied by a desire to gain affections from strangers and comfort from pornography?

They say love is blind but I just think it's selective. All the warning signs are usually there but we choose not to heed their warnings because we would rather enjoy the fairy tale. It isn't that we didn't see them. It's that we chose to sweep them under the carpet. We like to think things will change. We like to think we can fix things. We like to see the good in people and imagine the best. We like to pretend we can't see the truth. We like pretending we are blind because then we don't have to take responsibility.

But five, ten, thirty years from now when we are no longer in the "once upon a time" stage and instead in the midst of "ever after" will we wish we had taken some time to consider what our "ever after" would look like?

 

5-12-10

Tonight I came across something I wrote in my writer's notebook during senior year of college... 

Why do we all think we need to fit a mold? Why do we buy into the lie that if we aren't a size 3, 120 lbs, tan, gorgeous with the most fashionable clothes, the correct accessories and a man that looks like he was pulled from the most recent Abercrombie photo shoot that there is something wrong with us?  And even when we decide those things are not what we want, we are still not satisfied because we feel judged by the world.
 
And if the pressure to meet the appearance expectations isn't strong enough there is also the expectation of meeting the life stages mold.  Meaning by a certain age we should be finishing college,settling down, getting a job, building a career, getting engaged, planning a wedding, getting married and having children.

So what if I am graduating college after five years and still don't really know what I want to do?  So what if I have walked away from romantic men that melted my heart because something just didn't feel right? Is there something wrong with me for getting irritated when guys constantly read into me being nice and at the same time get irritated with the guys I do like for not being able to tell the difference?

Why do all my friends think that just because I am the token single friend that they should be setting me up with people? What's the hurry?

What if we all made the choice to step out on our own, to face our fears of being alone, to explore the person we see everyday in the mirror, to set goals and accomplish them, to honor others, to make a list (and continually add to it) of the things we love about ourselves, to have the courage to dance, to exercise and eat healthy simply because it makes us feel good, to eat the chocolate cake no matter who is looking, to forgive, to learn to play drums, speak Italian or surf, to take trips with our girlfriends and to be open to love (in whatever form it comes)? What if we stopped saying someday and started saying today?

There's a reason people don't take helicopter rides to the top of Mt. Everest, the excitement isn't at the top, it's during the trials and experiences on the way up.  Today is the day to start enjoying the journey.  Today is the day we will tell our grand kids about.

I Have A Team, Do You?

I recently made a new friend. Her name is Donya and she is a writer, speaker and a dreamer. We have yet to officially meet but we started emailing after I read a comment from her on Jon Acuff's blog.

As we began emailing about our passions and similar dreams Donya asked me:

"How on Earth did you find other like minded individuals willing to jump on board? (referring to The You Are Project) I have approached several people about the plans I have and no one wants to really jump in with me. I get a lot of applause followed by 'I could never do that but you can do it.' The thing is, no one can tackle something like that on their own. They need a team. You have a team. I'm in awe...And a little jealous :) Tell me your secret!"

This isn't the complete response I sent her but it was my first thought....

My friends are visionaries.

They see what others can't (or choose not to).

My friends are revolutionaries working for a change.

My friends are dreamers, daring to dream.

They are believers and they are go getters.

My friends dare to ask "what if?" and "why?"

My friends don't believe in "impossible".

My friends don't allow themselves (or their dreams) to be put in a box.

My friends give their all to the causes that speak to their cores.

Donya's statement made me so proud! Not proud of myself but proud of my friends. Proud to know such fantastic people. Proud to be one of the "team".

Her statement also really challenged me. I found myself wondering how much responsibility I could take for the fact that I was surrounded by "like minded individuals". Was this something I had intentionally pursued, was it luck or some combination of both?

But out of it all my focus fell on the following statement, "...no one can tackle something like that on their own. They need a team. You have a team." The words, "I have a team" kept repeating in my head.

I have a team! What a relief to know that I'm not in this alone. I have a team! How encouraging to be reminded that there are people who have my back. I have a team! How fantastic it is to know that I am loved. I have a team. Thank God! And then... I have a team.... Do they know how much I love them?

This isn't just about The You Are Project this is about the team of people who support me throughout my life, people who believe in me, pray for me and challenge me. This is about the people who have sacrificed. The people who have been part of making me, me. Without these people, I wouldn't believe in myself. Without these people I wouldn't know how to show myself grace. Without these people, I wouldn't believe in my ability to accomplish the dreams God has placed in my heart. Without these people, my world would be a very dreary place.

If you aren't in the picture, just know it isn't personal.
I LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU!

Thanks for being on my team!

 
QUESTION TIME: Do you know who is on your team? Are you strategic about building your team? Do you choose who you surround yourself with or just let it happen?

How much time do you spend with your team?

Does your team all think and believe exactly like you or do you have team mates that challenge you and push you forward?

What types of people are on your team? How many negative people are on the team compared to positive?Who has the stronger voice?  Who is easier to listen to, why?

How many of your team mates are dreamers? How many are not? Are you thoughtful about which of these people you share your dreams with?

What is the dynamic between the members of your team? Do they work together and encourage or just coexist?

Do your team mates know you believe in them?

Do they let you know they believe in you? Have you taken the time to thank them?

Do you believe in you? If not, how do you ever expect anyone else to believe in you?

When you truly believe in yourself, you challenge others to believe in themselves.

By the way, I believe in you!! Don't forget it.



Dear God, It's Me, Catherine

*I realize I might regret this but I believe in being honest and I really hope it can help others to be as well. This is a combination of prayers I have written and spoken. Some are from a little while back and some are more recent.*



Dear God!!!!!

      Would you please tell me what is going on?   Is anything going on?  I guess it could be nothing. You said, "Be Patient."

       You said, "I'm going to teach some men how to pursue and you are going to learn patience along the way."

        Well, I've been learning a lot about patience over the years and I'm just curious, when do the pursuit lessons begin? How long could you possibly intend for this lesson to last? I guess I don't have enough patience yet.

        You keep telling me to allow you to take care of everything but the world says I should be proactive. The world keeps telling me to take matters into my own hands. You keep telling me just to trust you. You keep trying to remind me that I can't see what you see.

         God, how will I ever learn to trust my heart? It has failed me so many times in the past. Will you give me your instincts and your eyes? Help me remember, I don't need to be his best friend. He does not need to know everything.

          God, I say I want to know what is going on but honestly, I don't. I know I whine a lot but I like it this way. It's difficult at times but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I look at it like Christmas. I know the present is coming and I know it's going to be AMAZING and I can't wait to know what it is but I really do want to wait.  I'm sorry for whining, I really do trust you to do your thing.

          In the mean time, thanks for giving me the opportunity to live in the unknown. Help me not to miss a moment of it.

                                                                                              Love, Catherine

*Be on the lookout for part two.  "Dear Catherine, It's Me, God"*


*Disclaimer: I just want to make sure I am being clear.  This is in no way a complaint that there are not amazing guys all around me. I am not whining. I am not asking for anything different. I do not want nor need a change of scenery. That would only add more guys to the list of incredible friends. I am simply being honest about something we all (guys and girls) whine about at times.*

One Day...

One day, I will road trip across the country. I will visit Yellowstone, Boston, the Carlsbad Caverns, Chicago, Seattle and the Badlands.

One day, I will learn to sail and will spend a good bit of time just floating in the middle of the ocean.

One day, I will explore New Zealand and Australia. I will learn to surf and go black water rafting in caves.

One day, I might spend some time living in a city, like Philly or New York and I will definitely spend a summer (or more) living at the beach.

One day, I will spend at least a few months living in Italy and wandering through Europe.

One day, I will go to little villages in unknown countries and learn from their people.  One day, I will get to pour into the lives of these beautiful people.  One day, I will get to make a difference.

And one day, I will be the girl who is chosen to love. One day, I will be a wife and one day, I will be a mom.

One day sounds like a great time but I don't envy it any since before I know it one day will be yesterday. Until one day, I'll enjoy the confusion, laughter, free time, questions and challenges that come with this day.

I am....

I am a passionate woman.
I wonder if there is more.
I hear the cries of the broken hearted.
I see the desperation behind their eyes.
I want to make a difference.
I am a passionate woman.
I pretend that I have it all together and 
I feel at times I do.
I touch the stars and hope to change their paths.
I worry my efforts will be in vain.
I cry because I feel small.
I am a passionate woman.
I understand the world is broken.
I say,"There is more, so much more!"
I dream of doing something that matters.
I try to be so many things I am not.
I hope for the things unseen.
I am a passionate woman.



*When I was in college, we were asked to write an "I am" poem by following a template. I never seriously got around to writing the poem. Yesterday, I discovered my sophomores did this activity and I was really inspired by their beautiful work. It made me come home and work on it.*

Be Naive!

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"

-Unknown

Part II

Remember when you were a kid and you used to dream about being an astronaut, princess, football player, acrobat or ________? Remember when you didn't understand logic and you would simply ask, "WHY?" because you didn't like something about the world? Remember when you had simple solutions to the world's biggest problems because you just didn't think things needed to be that complicated.

As I was saying in my previous post, "Do You Enjoy It?" the above quote always makes my insides scream for something more.  It makes me want to dream for more, to expect more and to live more. I also can't help but wonder if we have come to a point where we no longer allow ourselves to dream, question and ask, "what if" because we are afraid of being hurt when things don't work out, we are afraid of taking risks, afraid of the unknown, afraid of the free fall, afraid of tripping and getting scraped up, afraid of failing.

Do you remember when you would get frustrated with the adults who told you that you were just being "naive" or that "one day you would understand"?  Do you remember when you used to look at adults and wonder why they seemed so hopeless, why they never dreamt? Do you remember promising yourself that you would never become like them, that you would never stop dreaming, stop trying to change the world?  What happened?
So now I will ask you again, "What would you attempt to do if you knew  you could not fail?"  Would you really just fly around?  What if the question was that you could do ONE thing without failing, what would it be?  Would you try to meet someone or tackle a large issue? How would you use your one thing to change the world?   How would the world be different?  What if we began thinking like children again? What if we took back our naivety and took on the world?  And what if these weren't just "what ifs"? What if we all had the ability to do one thing without failing? And what if we actually acted on it?

Do You Enjoy It?

"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"

-Unknown

Part I

I recently posted this question as a status update on Facebook.  The responses I got were pretty tame. Some people said things like, "Fly" or "Anything, just because I could" while others simply "liked" it.  I remember feeling a little disappointed that not one of my friends even dared for a minute to think outside the box.  I knew it was simply just another sentence on their news feed but I was disappointed because it made me feel like I was the only one who's insides were screaming for something more.   

I can't help but wonder if we have come to a point where we no longer allow ourselves to dream, question and ask, "what if" because we are afraid of being hurt when things don't work out, we are afraid of taking risks, afraid of the unknown, afraid of the free fall, afraid of tripping and getting scraped up. 

Or is it that we've become too busy? Are we so wrapped up in our everyday lives, in all the things that are so important to us that we don't even have time to appreciate them?  I have this friend who is extremely talented, passionate and hard working but lately it seems that his life has been overtaken by all these things he "has to do," things that he loves and things that he has chosen for his life but at the same time something just seems off.  I recently asked him, "Do you enjoy it?" and at first his response made me feel a little better, "Deep down I am. It's just hard to realize because of everything else." But some time later I began to feel like something was off with that answer.  You see, here is this guy who is "living the dream," setting himself up for a successful future and doing things he always dreamed of but he can't fully enjoy because he is stretched out in so many different directions.  What good are blessings if we have turned them into burdens? What good are these blessings if we can not fully engage in them because of all the other responsibilities in our lives that we are afraid to let go of?

Individual blessings usually come along only for a period of time (some longer and shorter than others).  For example, college, jobs (and unemployment), trips, relationships (even the different stages of relationships), babies, children, vacations, living in a certain area, engagements, weddings, etc.  And I can't help but feel like most of the time we allow ourselves to be robbed of the pleasure God intends for us to find in that blessing because we don't make it a priority.  We often recognize the blessing but then put it on the same playing field as every other aspect of our lives.  We practically make it mundane.  We even say things like, "Oh, this is going by so fast." or "I wish I had more time or energy to focus on _____." But we do nothing about it.  We don't sit down and make a plan.  We don't look at the different stories our lives are writing and decide which ones need to be cut out (Thanks, Caleb for this line).  We just keep on going.  We tell ourselves to enjoy the moment, to live in it and not rush but our actions say otherwise. 

So now, I have to ask you a question, "Are you enjoying it? Are you glad you are doing it?" If your answer isn't "YES!", if your answer is more like, "Yes, but I hardly realize it" then PLEASE stop and do something about it.  Make some changes.  Do something different, step back from something if you need to.  Take control of your schedule and manage your time better.  Do something different so you can enjoy the blessings you have been given right now.  Because before you know it, they will be gone. 

 Just A Little Something Extra....

Are you a newlywed couple that just can't wait to have kids? Why? Do you realize you have your whole lives ahead of you? Have you taken the time to enjoy your spouse and this season of your lives together? If you can't figure out how to enjoy them how will you ever learn to truly enjoy your children? You only get this season of your life once, don't rush through it. Don't forget to enjoy it.

Are you engaged? Why are you rushing everything? Why do you feel the need to get married yesterday? I understand you are excited, believe me I do and I am sure I would be right there with you but seriously, you only get this ONCE! Relish in the moment. Be excited! Live out each moment and experience it fully. This is your time.

Oh, college student! My goodness, enjoy it! Go to class and LEARN! Take advantage of all the opportunities in front of you. Meet people! Leave your shell and comfort zone behind and build relationships. Quit counting down the days and years till graduation. You only get this once, appreciate the people around you and go crazy!

And to "all the single ladies (and gentlemen)," can we please just relax? We have the rest of our lives ahead of us. I know the child in you is feeling "SO OLD!" but seriously we are in this season for a reason and there is still so much fun to be had! Let's embrace it! Let's learn to enjoy every aspect of it (including the Friday nights at home and wedding invites with no "plus one") so that when the next blessing comes along we will be ready for it, we will know how to embrace and appreciate that season.


(A few weeks later:  Just read this article from Relevant and thought it really applies to this topic.   http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/features/26793-the-pride-of-busyness)

If Your Life Were A Movie...

Person #1: "How was the movie last night?"

Person #2: "It was good. We enjoyed it but the plot really wandered at times...  It was worth watching but was missing something.  ...It wasn't worth five stars and well, I wouldn't really give it four stars either.  I guess it would be three stars.  I liked the storyline, it just wandered..."

Sounds like a pretty average conversation, right? But just this once something jumped out at me. After hearing her response, I thought, "WOW! Isn't that life?!"

How many people are settling for a "three stars" kind of life? It isn't really bad but it isn't really great.  It's just ok enough to get comfortable.  If it was bad, we might actually be motivated to do something about it. And if it were really great, we would be out shouting about it like we do with all the great films we watch.

Think about what is happening when the plot of a movie wanders.  The storyline is missing the point and straying from fulfilling its purpose.  Is the storyline of your life wandering?  Are you missing the point or are you fulfilling your purpose? How many stars would your film receive?

The Story of Your Life

The Story Of Your Life - Matthew West

Is this the end? Or only the beginning?
The second chance you never thought you'd get.

The question is, "Will you do something with it
Or spend your days lost in your regret.

This is the story of your life
You decide
How the rest is gonna read.
This is your chance between the lines
To redefine what kind of legacy you leave.
This is the story of your life
And it's a story worth telling.

Breathe in deep.
Feel your heart still beating.
Let's go see the reason you're alive.
Oh, you are here
And love is up to something
So take your fear
And leave it all behind.

This is the story of your life
You decide
How to rest is gonna read.
This is your chance between the lines
To redefine what kind of legacy you leave.
This is the story of your life
And it's a story worth telling.

This is the joy
And it's the pain
And all the pages in between.
Your finest hour
Your weakest moment
It's where you've been.
It's where you are.
It's where you are going.

Looking For Places To Stay...

I am getting really excited now that all of this is on here and I have been hearing back from all of you.  If you are interested in helping me out in a way that does not involve money, check out this list of places/cities that I still need a place to sleep in...

• Any place near the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa (like Marquette)
• Any place near the Badlands National Park in South Dakota
• Yellowstone National Park
• The Tetons
• Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
• Zion National Park, Utah
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Mojave National Preserve, California
• The Grand Canyon
• Flagstaff, Arizona
• Holbrook (Petrified Forest National Park), Arizona
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• White Sands (Alamogordo), New Mexico
• Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
• somewhere between Carlsbad, New Mexico and Johnson City, Texas
• Johnson City, Texas
• New Orleans

THE PLAN...

Here is the map with all of my planned stops marked off.  

To view a much larger (and legible) version click on the image.

As I continue to earn and save up money the bar below the map will show you my progress.

If you are interested in finding out about ways you can help me with my planning please read the sidebar (has since been taken down). If you are interested in sponsoring a specific leg of the trip (8 cents/mile) please let me know.  To show my appreciation I will dedicate that part of my adventure to you and send you a postcard from that area.  If you click on the image below you can read about the mileage between stops and how much it would cost to sponsor that leg of the journey (8 cents/mile).  The green sections are ones that have already been chosen by someone to sponsor.  Thank you again to everyone for your love, prayers and support.

This map will show you how I am doing with saving up for New Zealand.

PayPal Info: Donate through PayPal (my email is cesmith1@catamount.wcu.edu or use my cell #) just make sure you click "personal" and pay through your PayPal balance or a bank account that is linked to your account. Otherwise there is a small fee and neither of us wants that :)

"Girl, Don't Let Your Dreams Be Dreams!"

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a desire to explore and to know.  I’ve always been known as the person who asks too many questions in class or cares too much about random details.   I love to travel, I love to explore and investigate cultures and places that are different from my own.   I want to see every corner of the world I possibly can.  I want to know what life is like for people living in the Alaskan Igloos (do people actually still live in igloos?), for people in India, South Africa, Israel, and New Zealand.  How is what the people in Israel value different from what we value?  How is it similar?  What do educators in New Zealand do differently from American educators?  What do they do that is the same?  What results are they seeing in their school systems that we are not seeing?    What are the people in South Africa passionate about and how do they interact with one another?  Are the people in New Zealand as materialistic as Americans?  Do the people in Australia rush through life the way we do?   What are relationships like for people in other places around the world?

My curiosity isn’t just for the cultures of other countries.  It’s for the culture of Americans all across the country, past and present.  I want to know what it’s like to wake up in the middle of Yellowstone Park, to go caving in the Carlsbad Caverns, to sit at the Grand Canyon, talk to God and learn about the Native Americans who ruled these lands so many years ago.  I want to explore places like the Badlands and learn about the events, ceremonies and rituals that took place there hundreds of years ago.  I want to experience big cities like, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and I want to go to lesser known places like, Billings, Montana (Hey, Kathleen!) and Alamogordo, New Mexico.   

I have this incredible desire to experience as much of the world as possible.  I know the responsible thing to do is to get a “real job” after college or at least to go to grad school (and believe me I really want to do both!) but I can’t help but think, when else will I have this opportunity and how amazing would it be if I could have first hand experiences in 16+ national parks, 30+ cities, and 21 states?  What if I had my very own experiences, photographs, souvenirs and stories from all of these places to share with my students?  What if I had the opportunity to make the learning come to life for them?

Is it possible that I could experience different cultures from around our country and world and then bring back that knowledge for my students, friends and family in a way that creates a bridge between our cultures, a bridge that could break down barriers, prejudice and mistaken beliefs?

About a month and a half ago I realized that the reason I never follow through with planning any of my big fantasy trips is because I never have the money and never know when I will have it.  When I realized this I thought the only way to stop this cycle is to come up with a plan to get the money.  How can I expect to someday have the money if I don’t come up with a plan to save the money?  So I wrote out exactly what it was that I wanted to do and then I figured out how much it would cost.  I then picked a tentative date and figured out how much I would need to save each week if I was going to leave by that date.  Then I found some extra jobs all within a week and got to work at meeting my weekly savings goal.  But then a lot of people started giving me their 2 cents (which I appreciate greatly).  Some people said I should go to other places on my road trip, some people didn’t want me to do both things, some didn’t think I should do any of it, some thought I should take more time on my road trip, some said I should line up a job in New Zealand and stay longer, some said I should wait another year and then go, some said I said I shouldn’t go on the road trip and I should use that time and money in New Zealand. With all of these suggestions I started trying to mold my plans and dream to fit their thoughts and opinions but it got quite exhausting and every time I tried to make a change to the plan I would get upset because it felt like I was settling, like I wasn’t following my dream and I would ask myself, why am I doing this if I am not going to do it my way? 

Then out of the blue one afternoon my dad said to me “Don’t lose your dream.” And I realized that I needed to stop trying to fit my dream into everyone else’s plans (as well intentioned as they were) and let it be my dream and my plan. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, I am taking some advice from a Jack Johnson song (“Girl, don’t let your dreams be dreams.”) and going all out with my plans.  This September I will be getting in the car and driving 6,900 miles, stopping in 30 cities, 16 national parks, visiting 8+ old friends and 6+ friends of friends (Thank you to all of you who have offered me a couch along the way, I already have about half of the nights covered).  I will then return home for about a month and a half before heading to New Zealand and then Australia (why not, it’s only another $100 on the plane ticket?).   

An Evening in Charleston

At the Battery in Downtown Charleston

This was in my journal from March 26th, 2010....  

"I've always envied those people, women in particular, who just seem to be able to do anything independently. Not the ones who have to because they are loners or social outcasts but the ones who seem so secure with themselves that they have no problem going away alone and actually enjoy it. I've always wanted to be able to do it but would not because I didn't know what I would do with myself or whether it was safe.

I'm laying in bed, in a cabin, at a campground and I am alone and it is fun. I'm getting up in six hours to run a 10K across a bridge with 40,000 other people and I will be all by myself. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and having a great time. But am I crazy? Normal people don't do things like this... Will it be all I've cracked it up to be? Who knows, but I'm proud of myself and thankful to God for an amazing life and such wonderful opportunities."

Here's the point... I ran the race and it WAS a blast!  At the end of the race I arrived in a park in downtown Charleston.  These two girls asked me to take their picture and then invited me out for drinks (Hey, it's Charleston and we were on King St. what did you expect?)... It didn't stop there.  Then they invited me to a Citadel vs. App State baseball game (where I got to see App get beat, which never happens in Cullowhee). 

I did it... I am the girl who can do anything by myself just because I felt like it.  I can go on vacation to another city, run a race, go out for drinks with strangers (ok, that sounds way worse than it was), make new friends, sit on the beach alone and revel in God's beauty.

"Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."
Me with my new friends at the baseball game.

What Story Do You Want To Write?

Today Jodi told me a story that she read last night in Donald Miller's book A Million Miles. It is a long story and not one I can tell here since I didn't read the book (yet) but basically it's about this father/husband who realizes he isn't doing a very good job when it comes to "writing" his family's story. He decides to step up and lead his family in telling a new story. His family's story becomes one of a family that raises $25,000 to start an orphanage in Mexico.

From my conversation with Jodi, I got the message that Miller is encouraging each of us to stop allowing the world and life to dictate the story we are telling and to pick up the pen, take control (under God's leadership) and decide for ourselves what the story is going to be.

As a recent college graduate (2 weeks), I can feel the pressure to choose a path, to decide what story my life is going to tell. I was just accepted today into an amazing graduate program (my first and only choice)in a city I absolutely love, I live in a beautiful, little mountain town surrounded by amazing, beautiful people who love me and I have an AMAZING job but I also have the opportunity to do ABSOLUTELY anything at this point in my life and I feel like if I go to Charleston right away or if I stay here in Bryson I am playing it safe and I don't want to do that. I want to live my life. I want to trust that God will take care of me. I want to experience His best for me.

I could just go to Grad School because that is the responsible thing to do and I "should just get it over with" but why do I have to be so responsible? When will I ever get to just LIVE? There is a quote in my room that I have had framed for years and it says, "Live all the days of your life." There is also a magnet on my fridge that reads, "Do one thing every day that scares you." The thing is I do not want to sit on the sidelines as MY life story is written by the world, I do not want to allow fear to have control over my life and I don't want to miss out on God's bigger story because I was afraid to step out on a different path than everyone else. I want to discover the life God has planned for EACH and EVERY one of my days and I want to see what happens when I take the pen back from the world and give it to God.

What will happen when I let God write the story of my life? I don't know the answer to that but I can tell from past experiences that it will be absolutely, mind blowingly, amazing!!