Costuming:

I will describe later the details behind these pictures. For now, just enjoy. haha. =D

Matthew 7:7-8

This weekend I went home for an "Encounter" at my home church which was lead by a group of teens and adults from the Cornerstone Church in Sarasota. Although I went into the weekend hoping for an encounter with God and wanting to learn some things, I came out with much more than I had bargained for.

This group of Godly, dedicated Christians came to our church and served us with Christ's love, they had been praying for us long before they even met us and were completely open with us, sharing not only the gospel with us but their lives as well (1 Thess. 2:8). I had an encounter with God this weekend. Through the teaching and worship, prayer and self-inspection God not only rid my life of some things that needed to be dealt with, but he also filled me to overflowing with his Holy Spirit and a new awareness of the place in my life that He deserves. Life is so different when you allow the Spirit to lead you and work in you every moment of the day. Our perspective of ourselves changes, which changes our perspective of others, which changes our perspective of our reason for being where we are. This in turn affects every decision we make and every word we speak, every attitude we allow in our day and every way we choose to act. It also allows us to walk around in complete freedom and joy for the amazing gift we have been given through Christ's incredible sacrifice on the cross.

As well as this refreshed outlook, I have been made aware again of the importance of living by the Spirit, allow Him to speak and work in our daily lives. This includes being willing to go outside of my comfort zone if I feel the Lord's leading. I was reminded again of spiritual gifts and the impact that we can have if we allow God to utilize them in us (1 Cor. 12:1-11). I rerealized the powers that we face in the spiritual world, the attacks that Satan uses and the difference we can make in the spiritual realm through the power of Christ. The Lord wants to bring revival, he hears the prayers of his people and he will work through miracles, prayer and any other way that He wills to bring people to Himself.

I came back from this weekend with a bit of fear of the unknown, wondering if anyone else here in Clemson wanted the impact that I had gotten excited about. That very night, at a worship and prayer night with a group of friends, we prayed fervently and discussed excitedly the things that we can already see that God is doing on our campus. The Lord is going to bring revival to Clemson, it has already started. As we continue to pray and believe, He will continue to do great things in and through us.

It just goes to show that when you ask, seek and knock as the verses in Matthew 7 say, the Lord will not only answer and open the door, he will go above and beyond to bless you with more of Himself than you could ever hope for or imagine. He will impact nations and change lives. Praise Him! =D

Furry Friends Fabricate Frustration

Although it is a huge problem that will need to be dealt with immediately, I find it slightly amusing that Clemson's greatest enemy is not our football rivals, the current drought, or financial problems due to the economy. Instead we are currently dealing with the problem of our furry friends- the squirrels. Although it has been known for many years on the campus that we have an abundance of these friendly creatures, never has it caused much problem other than possibly the fright of the pedestrian on campus. In the past month, several power outages have occurred and as of last week, all of Daniel Hall is sweltering because of AC problems. Although not all the power problems on campus have been attributed to these squirrels, it is known that at least one of the 24 hour power outages and the AC problems in Daniel resulted from wires being chewed by our fluffy friends. Last year I believe an experiment of some sort was done to try to control their population, but apparently more will have to be done. Let's get on it Clemson University!

Community Contra Complex

to contra or not to contra?
that is the question.

What began as a spontaneous jump into the unknown last spring has now become an addicting past time. I had no idea when I went to my first contra dance with friends last year that it would become one of my favorite things about the Clemson college experience. Contra dancing is not only a great group activity and a way to loosen up those who may or may not want to try new experiences, it is also like an art. Every time you go, you learn a new move, figure out a new way of adding to the dance, perfect a move in some way and become a little more graceful. It seemed strange to me when my friends told me they had gotten "addicted" to it and seemed to look forward to contra dancing nights more than anything else. But now I've got the bug.
Being in the midst of a contra dance is like the ride down the mountain on a snowboard or like a spin around the lake on a jetski. Haha, ok that might be a bit too poetic but it certainly is a freeing and cultural experience. There is no way to understand it without experiencing it all on your own. Pictures, videos and vivid descriptions cannot measure up. Despite this truth, here are a few for a taste.

My contra friends, a lot of us are missing...


Elise and her partner enjoy a swing.


A dance in progress- there are 8 contras in a 3 hour period.


Contra "after parties" always include waffle house till 2am and
possibly a stop at a random store to take a picture with a pig.

Lead Me to the Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul- remember
Redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom

Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You were
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

Hillsong United

Humility: True Greatness

Tonight as I looked out over the ocean and saw the huge star-filled sky above me, I suddenly felt very very small. Even my shadow, which was magnified to about 5 times as big as me, was swallowed up in the vast black beauty of the night and the ocean. It seems that to suddenly feel so small would create an overwhelming feeling of loneliness or bring a sense of fear. But instead it only created inside of me an awe and a wonder that transformed into a wonderous praise for a magnificent God.

As I stood there I continued to think about the greatness of our God. I realized how often we go througout our lives with a sense of our bigness. We don't often get that sense of being small and insignificant next to the Lord's greatness. We walk around with an attitude of pride. Everything we do and say is centered around how we can make ourselves appear better, how we can become more well-liked, how we can seem like better Christians and how we can bring glory to ourselves. A few months ago, I would have been quick to say that pride could probably be found in my life, but at that point I did not realize how pride can permeate every part of everything we do. Now, as my Bible study has begun to study the book Humility, by CJ Mahaney, the Lord has put a conviction in place that is not easily brushed aside.

Let me just share a few eye-opening definitions. Humility is defined as honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness; On the other hand, Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him.

Wow. When it comes down to it, when we seek to and bring glory to ourselves instead of to the Lord, we are trying to be God, we are aspiring to His status. We are idolizing ourselves as we put our own desires and worth above that of His. And what is our purpose here on this earth in the first place? Is it not to bring God glory? When we display pride in our daily lives, we are going against all that he has called us to and the purpose he has created us for. I don't think we realize how serious that is.

The way I see it, it all comes down to motivations. Are they pure? Am I serving these people in this way because I want to carry out the will of God or because I want that person to see me and be impressed with my servant heart? Am I saying these words because my roomates will think what a great Christian I am when I would say something totally different around my other friends? Am I seeking to grow in the Lord simply to attract and impress certain people or is it because I truly desire Him? These are hard questions to ask but they have to be honestly answered if we really desire to rid our lives of the pride that so easily consumes us.

Look up at the sky, look out over the ocean, notice the intricate detail of a flower or the number of trees on just one mountain. How can we contend with the creator of these things? How can we even think about taking credit or increasing our own worth when such a God is before us in all his might and glory? When will be finally realize that nothing we do is without him? That nothing we say or accomplish is in our own strength? It is through Him and Him alone, and he deserves ALL the glory and ALL the praise.



" Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness." Psalm 29:1-2

Mountain Getaway

With the spontaneity that only college can give you, I and five great friends decided to take a one night "camping" trip to Mountain Rest. Leanna's family has a camp up there and we spent an evening shooting bows and arrows, playing soccer, volleyball and exploring the summer camp. After collecting groceries at a nearby gas station in which "I'd rather be hunting" bumper stickers could be bought, we drove about five minutes to a nice campfire spot. By this time, the night was dark and we used Leanna's car lights to build ourselves a nice campfire for roasting hotdogs, baked beans, marshmallows. Sparklers, cigars and an intense game of "Grill" entailed. After gazing at the beautiful star-filled sky and having excellent conversation, we prepared to leave. The night then became especially exciting as we realized the car battery had died. We began our 2 mile trek back to Leanna's house in the pitch black night while knowing full well the possibility of a bear's appearance or the attack of the ferocious sounding dogs in the distance. We sang several songs and clung together in fear. At one point it is reported that Nick sang heartily, "Man, I feel like a woman!" We arrived back alive, just to reassure anyone who may have wondered. And here is the evidence that what I say is true.