Chasing Paper Stars

One Full Day

2009-07-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

I drove through the gates and it's like I never left!

The air still blows gently and sticky with that sea salt smell. Hogie still mans the gate and tells he loves me. The pool is still on the right and the Yam's house is still the first place I stop. Memories of my summer staff days immediately fill my head and the excitement of making more memories this week is overwhelming in a fantastic way.

I'm at Caswell...I've been here for a full day and I'm not gonna lie, I may not leave!

International Justice Day

2009-07-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

What would you stand up for?

What would you speak out for?

What would you fight for?

Those are all good questions, and yes I know each question ends with a preposition but that's not the point right now! Watch this video and then finish reading the rest of this blog...

International Justice Day

I don't know about you but that video speaks powerful words to me. Words that aren't thought about in OUR regular routine but for some people in this world these words are dealt with every day...

Walking miles for water, unclean water that will harm their bodies.
Children working instead of playing and learning.
Being beaten because your color isn't the same as the person standing next to you.
Being sold for sex by your father or family member.
Deciding whether to pay for food or medicine. And for most, not having the medicine accessible to them.

...this is happening right NOW. As you and I sit here, sipping on our Starbucks or wrapped up on sofas, people are suffering! I can't wrap my mind around the thought of not doing anything about this. I can't grasp the thought of sitting back and hearing these stories over and over. It's time to do something about it.

Will you stand up for them?

Will you speak out for them?

Will you fight for them?

*click the image to find out how you can help!

Oak Island...I'm coming!

2009-07-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

I am now counting down hours till I make my way down to the coast of North Carolina! I am starting to get antsy and I really wish I wasn't sitting at this desk at this very moment. I want to be on the road...on way may...outta here!

I have all these wonderful thoughts running through my head about the friends I'm going to see, the events I get to partake in and all the memories I'm going to remember as I drive across that bridge and see that tri-colored lighthouse.

Oak Island, I have missed you and I am overjoyed at the fact that I will be spending 6 days with you. We will definitely re-kindle our relationship!

Lemony sweet!

2009-07-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life throws you lemons but sometimes it throws you cupcakes :)

Life has a funny way of surprising you when you least expect it! Late last week, I was dealing with a situation, one that was frustrating and left me hurt. I've been lied to a few too many times in my life, but this one shouldn't have happened and I let it! Betrayal and resentment filled my heart and mind. But you know what...even though one part of my life was sour because of lemons being thrown, the other side was sweet. The part of me that has learned to forgive and to love even when it's hard took over. My faith, my friendships, my desires and my exciting opportunities allowed me to take those lemons, those sour thoughts and make lemon cupcakes...with white frosting of course!

There's no point in being a sour patch kid!

Faith in the Sandbox

2009-07-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

Just a video to show one of the many reasons why God is real and his people are impacting this world!

makes me happy

2009-07-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

Hanging out with my friends makes me happy!!!

That's all I have to say today :)

Can we say Opera...

2009-07-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

All dressed in black and ready to dance the night away!

All smiles and all smoke

We look very sneaky

This our street picture! Yep, the night was still young

I love weekend nights with this bunch :)

To Know your Name...

2009-07-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

I woke up with a new feeling...way better than last night's :)

There is a song I found myself singing in the shower this morning – “To know Your name“, by Hillsong United. There’s something about the lyrics to this song that speaks to me all the time. There are specific lines in this song that minister to my core, while the Lord walks with me through this season – a very long season, but I find it to be almost over and I’m awaiting the next one. I find myself singing this song to God at random hours of the day & night and it’s amazing to feel Him smiling over me – it’s actually tangible.

“Your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness” – this is simply amazing – - in our broken state, the Lord’s grace abounds in ways that don’t make sense to the carnal mind. It’s as though we don’t feel the symptoms of brokenness, even when we’re walking in the season of emptying out, because the Lord has medicated us with His amazing grace. I think that’s an awesome way to look at this season I’m in now – I no longer feel the awful symptoms of brokenness even though I do know I am still in the season – that has not changed, but what has changed – is the acceptance & realization of my Jesus’ grace.

“The precious blood of Jesus Christ redeems, forgiven I’m alive, restored. Set free” – I think this line still makes my eyes water, because it’s unbelievable that through the blood of my Jesus, my life is completely redeemed and renewed. Nothing about my life can or ever will be the same because the blood of Jesus has taken its place in my awkwardly shaped life. Like the lyrics say, his life was truly precious on earth and yet people de-valued Him, sadly they still do..

I can say one thing, when people take the ice off of their beings and warm up to the concept that Christ’s life did not have to be taken away so harshly for our sake, only then will members of the Body step up to the plate and do what the Lord has been calling them to do since the beginning of time It’s this ice that has been numbing the mentality of Christians today – it does exactly to our Spiritual bodies as actual ice would do to the physical body. What does it do? When you apply ice to the body, it numbs the body from feeling the pain and suffering of the injury or damage that has previously occurred. In the same context, as the Lord’s Body – we have applied ice on our Spiritual bodies so that we would remain numb to the pain and suffering of our precious Jesus, our King Jesus. We can look at the scars and the bruises of the injury and talk about it, but we can’t feel it – so the lack of impact deems worthless to even talk about.

Every time we get a visual of the cross – tears should physically drop like rain, because we do not deserve eternity with Him, but yet it is freely given. We are forever in debt to Him – we took the loan from God, but Jesus paid the interest for us because there was no way we could afford it, make sense? I love the cross, it’s simply beautiful, even in the inhumanity of it. I do find myself thinking about it whenever I get time away from the busyness of the world – it realigns my thoughts, words, and actions.

I’ll leave you with the last few lines of the song.. And He took my place, knowing He´d be crucified. And You loved, You loved a people undeserving!

Be blessed.

To Jesus, my King Jesus..

The precious blood of Jesus Christ redeems,
Forgiven I´m alive, restored. Set free.
Your Majesty resides inside of me,
Forever I believe, forever I believe.
Arrested by your truth and righteousness,
Your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness.
Convicted by your spirit, led by your word,
Your love will never fail, your love will never fail.
I know you gave the world
Your only son for us
To know Your name
To live within the Saviour’s love
And He took my place
Knowing He´d be crucified
And You loved, You loved
A people undeserving!
-Hillsong, To know Your name

Mad night

2009-07-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how your mood can change in an instant!

Praying that God will take away the angry thoughts... so I don't hurt someone, haha!

Saying good-bye

2009-07-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had to say good bye to a new and precious friend! His name is Yusuke and I've only known him for about 3-4 months but what I have grasped from this amazing person is that he has a love for people and an contagious joy that fills the room when he enters. He laughs at all and will spend his time getting to know you no matter how long it takes.

Yusuke is about to embark on a new journey as he ventures to the big city of Seattle. He's gonna do great things there and I am so excited to hear what God does in this transition and new chapter of his life!

Please pray for Yusuke as he travels tomorrow and as he settles in to his new city and new life!

You will be buddy but remember we're all just a phone call and a plane ride away :)

Love

2009-07-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.
Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
Your love for one another will prove to the world that
you are my disciples.

John 13:34-35 (New Living Translation)

Full of Joy

2009-07-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again rejoice.

~ Phil. 4:4

Blessed by them

2009-07-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

I am blessed... I tear up when I say that but it's true.

I have food to eat, warm blankets to sleep and one of the best communities ever. You see, I have this group of friends that not only bring grins to my face and laughter to my heart, they do more. They are there in the hard times. Beside me when I fall. But most importantly they engage in the adventures of living for God and they bless everything around them. I can't fully describe to you this group because for one they aren't all in the same state, zip code, GPS coordinate. They are scattered across this fine nation making a difference in lives of people who need it. They are sharing the love Christ through hugs, through smiles, through their actions, their giving, through their funds...you name it they are doing it!

I step back and look at all of them, and there are too many to count. But I think about what they're doing. For example, Megan is making a difference in New York. David and Jeremiah and teaching kids in Estonia. Lindsey is doing mission in New Zealand and through photography tells their story. Walker is blessing people through his knowledge and his humble and contagious spirit in Atlanta, giving out food and money to those in need. Kristen is giving her summer to lead girls into a relationship with Christ by teaching them through worship and events in North Carolina. I could keep listing but the bottom line is, these people are changing this nation one blessing at a time!

I am blessed to know these people and I thank God for them!!!

love you guys!

July 4th...2009

2009-07-04T21:42:00.001-07:00

What an awesome 4th of July! Couldn't have asked for better...

Three of my favorite ladies at Twist.

Fireworks at Lenox Square.

Standing at the intersection of Lenox & Peachtree. Looks different without all that traffic!

Me and Walker :)

Happy Freedom day to everyone!

Crazy thoughts...

2009-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

I believe that at 2 in the morning your thoughts start to get all jumbled up and crazy ideas pop up out of no where. Like, getting in your car and driving to Waffle House for some late night pancakes still in your pjs. I'm not even a huge fan of Waffle House but at this very moment I would actually consider it...WHAT?! Ideas of rearranging the living room so that it would become a little more symmetrical. Oh and the most recent thought in my head... dying my hair red and blue to celebrate the 4th tomorrow...

...I totally need to go to bed :)

Danger Zone

2009-07-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

OK...the good news first! Cambi went to the vet today and they figured out what was making her sick, YAY! She has some antibiotics and she is on the road to recovery.

Now for the reason I am blogging today...I watched the movie Top Gun last night and I can't get the songs out of my head. I keep singing over and over, 'Highway to the Danger Zone...' I am seeing the planes take off and I actually dreamed about being on a military base last night. WHAT?!

You see this movie brings back a lot of old memories from college...some of my favorite memories. And more specifically, the movie reminds me of a special person that used to be big part of my life. He still is but only from a distance :(

So I dedicate this blog to him, the impact he has made on my life and the memories we shared. Praying that one day our paths will cross again!

Highway to the Danger

Cambi's sick :(

2009-06-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

So my puppy is sick and it makes my heart hurt :(

She has been throwing up all day and I wish there was something I could do to make her feel better. It's days like today that I wish dogs could talk!!! I feel like she would say 'Shannon, my tummy hurts! Please make it feel better!'

Please pray for my little girl...we are taking her to the vet in the AM.

Do your best

2009-06-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Life Changing Verse
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Your Life – What God would like to see

If you invited guests to come to your home, some of you would go all out to make sure everything was clean and neat. You could paraphrase the above verse in this way, “Do your best to prepare your home and family so that you can present yourself to your guests as one who has things in order, a family who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles a broom, mop, vacuum, and all other cleaning tools.” How can we, as Believers, use the same amount of energy (or more) in preparing ourselves for God as we do in preparing our home for guests? If you are going to do your best in cleaning a home, you must do some planning, some hard work, and some evaluating of your efforts. Let’s use these three tasks and the verse above to ask ourselves how we are preparing ourselves to be presented to God.

Planning to present yourself to God: I’m not confident that we, as Believers, think of our relationship with God in this way. Nowadays, as someone wants to pursue more of God, they do it when they “feel” like it. Can you imagine what your home would look like if you only worked on it when you “felt” like it? Planning means to think ahead of when you will spend time…alone with God, in reading and studying the Bible, in praying for your family and others, and in being alert to when the Holy Spirit leads you to serve others. Don’t get into the rut of “just letting it happen”. Be intentional about committing to God some of your time and all of your resources.

Doing hard work to not be ashamed: After you have a plan to spend time with God, then comes the hard work of executing the plan. Let me tell you upfront that the world and Satan will do everything possible to distract you so that you will forget all about your plan. Days or even weeks will go by and, one day, out of the blue, you will finally remember that you had planned to spend time with God. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), these thoughts come when our life takes a hit. Something happens that is not pleasing to us and, then, we remember. This is one reason why we should rejoice in suffering. God wants our attention and He can’t get it while you are off doing your own thing and have forgotten Him. Hard work means discipline and sacrifice. These are two words that strike fear and terror into everyone. True discipline is always “teaching for the future” as opposed to punishment being retribution for the past. Sacrifice is exactly that…giving up something that you have (time and possessions) for someone else. This will be hard at first, but gradually, our time with God will result in joy and contentment that far exceeds anything in this world. You will look forward to discipline and sacrifice because the fruit of the Spirit will be so overwhelming in your life as a Believer. Once you’ve experienced this, you will not want to go back.

Evaluating how you read and understand the Bible: One of the things I am amazed at is how much people think I know about the Bible when I know nothing. As long as I said certain phrases, I was considered a Bible scholar. I did not like myself too much when the Holy Spirit convicted me of my hypocrisy. The very grandest lesson that God taught me through this conviction was that the Holy Spirit is the only Teacher of TRUTH. I know nothing apart from the Holy Spirit. Let me say it another way, total reliance on the Holy Spirit is the only way to correctly read and study the Scriptures. Too many Believers approach the Bible from a “I want to know more about God” perspective. That sounds very religious and theologically correct. But, it has the “I” as the main point of reference. Instead, we should be saying, “Holy Spirit, reveal more of God to me.” With that perspective, your “spiritual discernment” will increase. You will see the things of this world grow strangely dim. You will see the absolute truth about life: live it for yourself and end up miserable and unhappy, or, live it for God and be content regardless of what’s going on in the world.

Do your “best”! I have not done my best. I’m sure many of you have not done your best. What does God think? He loves us unconditionally even though we don’t give Him our best. His love is not based on my performance. That still amazes me! As long as I remember His unconditional love for me, then I want to do my best for Him. His love (expressed through His grace, mercy, and forgiveness) for me causes me to change my life to be more like Him. This is what God would like to see in our lives.

It's HOT in these SOX

2009-06-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

*Attention: Please place no judgment on the following pictures!

OK, now that I have placed the tag line at the top, let me explain. I know that I now live in Georgia and I am fully prepared to be called a Georgia Peach but there is something you must know which may cause me to lose my future 'Georgia Peach' title... I am a RED SOX fan! >this is where you go ahead and get out all the yelling and screaming out of your system< Done? OK let's move on...

Yes, I am a Red Sox fan and have been for several years, long before I moved to this beautiful southern state. Now, I do like the Braves and I attend games and cheer for them whenever they are not playing the Sox. Is that wrong? I don't think so.

So anyway, today was the last game of the Red Sox/Braves three game weekend series. Let me tell you, it was bumpin HOT. Not just a little hot, it was well in the 100 degree range and for the first time, I wasn't excited about having lower level seats. But being the creative people we are, my brother, Jen and I improvised...

First creative purchase...fans! And not just any fans...these fans lit up when they spun around:)

Second, snow cones! Refreshing colored ice always makes things better!

And lastly, you gotta have the gear :) Hats make sunny days easier!

Besides losing the game, we had a blast. And the best part besides my brother being there to hang out was the 260 pound man that ran across the field in the top of the 9th. I assume he was a Boston fan, probably drunk and I believe whole heartedly that he was trying to through the pitcher off! So for that, I give him mad props :)

I'm an F-A-N-A-T-I-C

2009-06-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a F-A-N-A-T-I-C, Fanatic
I rep Christ till I D-I-E, Fanatic
I'm not extreme, I'm redeemed with faith
To serve a God whose extremely great
I'm a Fanatic

Still singing the LECRAE song from camp! Dang it, I want to go back...NOW!

Remembering Michael...

2009-06-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

By now the news of Michael Jackson's death has reached every country and almost every person that knew who he was or followed his career. People are listening to Thriller and Smooth Criminal while updating their Twitter and Facebook status' with Jackson lyrics and memories. It's a hard day for some and for others it's a day of rejoicing for the life he lead.

I have read so many articles today on Michael's death, his legacy, the debt he was in and just the overall effect that his unexpected heart attack has left on the POP world. It's amazing the impact this man has had on music in his 50 years on Earth.

When I first heard the news, I immediately looked at CNN to see if the news was true and sure enough I heard correctly...

(CNN) -- Entertainer Michael Jackson died after being taken to a hospital on Thursday having suffered cardiac arrest, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's office.
A Los Angeles fire official told CNN that paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson's home after a 911 call.

A Los Angeles fire official told CNN that paramedics arrived at Michael Jackson's home after a 911 call.

Paramedics took Jackson, 50, from his west Los Angeles home Thursday afternoon to UCLA Medical Center, where a team of physicians attempted to resuscitate him for more than an hour, said brother Jermaine Jackson. He said the famed singer was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PT.

I was in such shock that I kept looking through articles in order to soak up as much information as I could. I came across this article on CNN...

"Between approximately 2:40 p.m. PDT and 3:15 p.m. PDT today, some Google News users experienced difficulty accessing search results for queries related to Michael Jackson," a Google spokesman told CNET, which also reported that Google News users complained that the service was inaccessible for a time. At its peak, Google Trends rated the Jackson story as "volcanic."

WOW! He is still topping charts even after his death :)

The articles just kept coming and coming and are still coming...not all of them were positive but all are informative! I mean Michael's reputation wasn't the greatest but you have to think about all he's accomplished!!

What's my take on all this? Well, I am one of those people rejoicing over the life and career Micheal had. Michael Jackson started in the music industry at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. He defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and the epic "Thriller." Jackson's sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists. He was so creative and innovative with his music that he left us all wanting and waiting for more. He sold out concerts all over the world. Five of Jackson's solo albums – "Off the Wall," "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous" and "HIStory," – are among the top-sellers of all time. He sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and "Thriller" as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award. I mean if that's not something to rejoice about I don't know what is!

Michael, your life and legacy will be forever remembered!

God-breathed

2009-06-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way
or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting
our mistakes, training us to live God's way.

2 Timothy 3:16 (The Message)

Pay it forward

2009-06-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

I have this theory...I was going through the toll this past Sunday and I saw this little old lady beside me that was frantically trying to find 50 cent to go through the toll. There were two cars behind her and apparently they were in a huge rush because they were blowing the horn and throwing their hands in the air. Definitely not fun to be that person that is holding up traffic but I have totally been in that situation before and believe it or not some people really don't have change in their car. It's kind of a last minute thought, you know.

So my theory is this, if the person in front of that lady had thrown in 50 cent for her, the line would have kept moving...like a pay it forward kind of thing. What if we all paid for the car behind us? I think it might cause a domino effect. You see, most people have their 50 cent in hand and ready to throw in the basket or hand to the clerk, so when you pay for them maybe they will pay for the car behind them. If it continues on, it will eventually get to that little old lady or person who doesn't have 50 cent thus creating a good deed for the day and showing someone grace and love.

I think it could work! What do you think?

Oc-ta-what?!

2009-06-23T05:20:00.001-07:00

I'm staring at the screen wondering if I'm even awake! Squinting a bit to see the words on the screen..yep, there they are...I am awake, but I sure don't feel like it.

I have decided that me and 8 AM jobs don't mix very well. Well, actually it's not the job, it's my lack of discipline. I mean seriously why do I need to stay up soooo late when I know that I have to sit at a desk all day the next day writing emails and making phone calls...that just screams 'Shannon you're going to fall asleep at your desk!'

I honestly don't have a conclusion to this problem except go to bed earlier or switch careers and neither of those are in my vocabulary at the moment, haha.

So why the rock star late nights? I'm glad you asked... It's because of a little thing called socialization and it's one of my favorite things!

Last night was so much fun. It's was Austin and James' birthday and what better way to celebrate than to hit up Nori Nori for an adventure in sushi land. (side note: I'm not a big sushi fan but last night it was all about trying as much as possible) There were some creepy crawly things on that bar last night. Let me see what I can remember...snails, roe, raw tuna, raw salmon, pretty much any raw seafood, eggplant, mussles, mushrooms in a shell(who does that), something beet reddish purple... wait I have a photo:

You may not be able to see that very well but that sushi roll is totally reddish purple and surprisingly good!

Oh and there was octopus. Yep octopus! And you best believe I tried it. I didn't actually swallow it but I tried it and that's all that matters.

Take a look...

You can't really hear the conversation very well but basically octopus is too chewy for me...blah!

After sushi/creepy crawlers, we headed to Fado which is one of my favorite little pub restaurants! Atmosphere was great, people were great, the view was great...well not exactly but we found the good in the concrete construction area:)

I must say it was birthdays well celebrated! Austin and James, may God bless your years to come and give you many more awesome moments like last night.

He, stood up when they sat down

2009-06-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh...it's been almost a week since I've posted and I'm pretty sure I have left you all in a panic and in a constant state of wonder for how the week turned out. Well today is your lucky day because I'm going to fill you in a little bit :)

I'm at my desk in the NAMB office building daydreaming about being back in the 100 degree heat playing basketball with the students, watching them engage in worship and just being surrounded by people hungry for the word of God. It brings tears to eyes to think about all the experiences from last week. I don't have any pictures at the moment so I will try to describe a few things vividly so you can paint your own picture.

I do have a favorite memory from the week, so I will share!

Thursday night I was sitting at the sound board with my headset on, intently listening to the message Ed Newton was bringing while also thinking about all the things I needed to get ready in order for the production to continue running smoothly. Somewhere between writing the phrases that came out of Ed's mouth and thinking about how to transition from Brock to Matt with no down time, Ed entered into an invitation time. At that moment I stopped the wheels spinning in my head because I saw the greatest sight, one that only God could paint.

Standing in the center aisle with a green Vege Tales shirt on...the one with Larry's face staring right at you...there was a young boy, probably 13 or 14 proudly raising his hand. It took me a minute to caught up and realize what was going on. This boy was kind of standing on his tip toes and when I caught a glimpse of his face there were tears running down his cheeks. A counselor, I assume with his group stepped in to aisle and the young boy gentle laid his head on the man's chest. Upon Ed's request, the young boy and counselor headed to back where they then entered a room, a counseling room. Yes, if you haven't picked up on it yet, that young boy wanted to be saved. He wanted Jesus in his heart and he couldn't sit down any longer!

Emotions were raising and tears starting falling from eyes. You see, that young boy accepting Jesus reminded me of how precious and how mighty our God is. That boy painted a picture of what loving and trusting truly meant. He, in front of all his friends, stood up when everyone else was sitting down. He, in front of hundreds of other youth his age declared he wanted a relationship with Jesus Christ no matter what how much snickering was to occur behind his back...cause we all know how middle school kids can be. He, knowing that his life could change and would change walked down that aisle and said the words that make my heart beat a little faster, "I want Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior." Goosebumps I tell you...happens every time!

I saw that boy when he came out of the room and he had a perma-grin on his face and not only that, his counselor and several of his friends greeted him with hugs and perma-grins as well. One of the young boys next to him said, "I am proud of you!" What a great moment in that boy's life!!!

There were tons of other great experiences and each one of them was priceless but I'm not gonna write them all out. My blog would be ten pages long and I was college student once so I know how annoying reading that much can be :)

Once I get some pictures I'll post them!

SuperWOW 2009...miss you already.