So, for those of you who use wordpress, your dashboard tells you what search terms or phrases people entered to get to your blog.  This is what I came across today…

Search Engine Terms

These are terms people used to find your blog.

Yesterday

Search	Views
big cock comments	1

Big cock comments? I just want to know why and how a phrase like this would lead someone to MY blog?

First, say hello to my beautiful niece, Alivia.  She was happy this morning.

It’s always intrigued me that the New Year falls so closely to Christmas (or vice versa).  For many, the New Year comes with resolutions, empty promises, and sometimes excitement for a “clean slate”.  

Christ’s birth came with a promise for a new beginning for humanity.  

Maybe that’s why the two celebrations fall so closely.  With Christ’s birth we are given a new beginning.  This feeling of a fresh start is often masked through the New Year festivities and we try to believe that somehow, just maybe, a date on the calendar will change things, make things new rather than realizing that the birth of God incarnate is what revolutionizes our lives.

And that is my New Year’s resolution: to recognize that it doesn’t take one day of the year to believe that I can do good things, that I can be a healthier person, and that I can love others more truly for another twelve months; rather, it’s to believe that through Christ all things are made new.  It is HE that gives us new year, a new century…a new opportunity at life.

For many of you who regularly read this, this is a change of pace from my normal, boring, journal-esque writings, but I’ve struggled;  I’ve been so caught up with schooling and trying to maintain some sort of sanity that I’ve forgotten why it was that I chose Messiah College.  My goal over break is to rejuvenate and get my spiritual life back together.  Maybe that’s why so many things fell apart this semester and I lost so many friendships that I held so dear to my heart.  

Also, many churches around the world are taking part in what’s called Advent Conspiracy.  Spread the word & get involved.  I know we all complain about Christmas consumerism but rarely find solutions.  Here’s a way.

Worship fully. Spend Less. Give more. Love all.
GIVE PRESENCE.

I pray that each and every one of you have a blessed Christmas and New Year/Beginning with your families.

p.s. I have an interview in Philly in a few weeks for teaching. I’m overwhelmed with nervousness, but I trust that if this is truly my calling, God will work things out.

I’ve made my return from the south since I last wrote, and it’s been awkward, exciting, and sad at times. My family & I have reconnected, Alivia has been baptized, I’ve seen old friends, and experienced my first anxiety attack at the mere sight of the garden. Things have changed since I was last living in Pennsylvania and yet much has stayed the same. I like that.

Leaving Alabama and my father was hard, but finally being able to say that I have lived with him brings the biggest smile to my face. Some part of me feels a little bit more complete knowing we were able to truly connect this summer as father and daughter.

I’ve also made my move into the townhouse. I absolutely adore it & love biking to campus. I feel at little more productive when I work my body to get from one place to another. We’ve already had friends come by for dinners & small talk on the back patio and suddenly, this has become my home through that process. And as many have already heard on campus, Sammy has been introduced to my house-mates, friends, as well at the whole women’s soccer team. He’s adjusting well.

As I readjust to the Grantham campus , I’ll keep Philly & Alabama in my heart, taking the lessons I’ve learned from both places and working them into my final year at Messiah College. Let’s make it a good one.

I’ll leave you with a picture of Sammy:

Things I’ve done in the past 30 days:

-Picked up Archery and got a new Martin X-200 Recurve that I shoot every Saturday in the woods.

-Made a friend.  Her name is Jess.  Every Monday is “Manic Monday with Jess & Lacey”.  We’re very glad to have met each other as both of us are new to the area.

-Found the gun my dad has been desperately searching for in Montana and had it shipped here.

-Shot 2 rifles, a .45 ACP revolver, and a couple more pistols.

-Got poison ivy.

-Went to a pig roast.

-Laid on the beach…twice.  Destin, Florida & Panama City, Florida.  Both beautiful places.

-Got an awful sunburn on top of the poison ivy.

-Went to a BBQ with my new friend and was surrounded by more than 2 people my age for the first time in 3 months.

-Planned a trip to Blackwater River in Florida with my dad which we will be doing this weekend. (Saturday + Sunday canoeing, plus sleeping under the stars on the beach Saturday night)  There will be lots of photos.

-Pulled over to pick up a beautiful turtle from the middle of the road.

-Had some of the weirdest dreams I’ve ever experienced in my life. (I blame the heat for that one).

…I’ll add more as I think of them.

It’s be rough to say the least. Two people in my life died within five days of each other. The first being a dear friend who taught me many life lessons and the other, a close friend of my mother’s who made me laugh often while I was growing up.

Because of my current location & lack of friends around, it’s been difficult to handle all of this news…so as a way to cope & truly express my feelings (since I do so better through photos than words), I took a bike ride down Route 1 in honor of Adrian (& now also Rick) with the purpose of taking photos of the surrounding environment. Here is the outcome of that ride. I apologize for how small these are. If you click on them they’ll get larger.

This one’s for you A.W.

(Enjoy this song while you look. You’ll have to go to this link.)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AratTMGrHaQ

You are loved & missed Adrian Wilson & Rick Martnick.

fin.