Sisters

Look to the left. That's my best friends and I. You're looking at three of the weirdest (we prefer the term "peculiar") girls that God ever created. And you're looking at three of the most blessed girls that God ever created. Julie Beth and I have known one another since she was born. The memories and experiences that we have shared are countless. Sarah and I haven't known each other quite as long, but we may as well have. We have just as many memories! They're, as cliche as it is to say, my soul sisters!

The three of us are infamous for our tendency since we were teenagers to take long drives to absolutely nowhere. They seem totally pointless to most people. But they're some the best memories of my life. We have a rule for these drives though. "Nothing said [in secret] in this car leaves this car!". It's our time of fellowship. We talk all at once, over top of each other and still somehow manage to understand everything the other two are saying. We change the subject often. We laugh. We cry. We sing. We help each other through the latest crisis'. We tell our deepest, darkest secrets. We talk about how great our God is. We ponder the mysteries of Heaven and share the latest "pots of honey" that we've found in our Bibles'. I'm pretty sure that half of the time we are "driving" that God is really driving the car. Otherwise, I'm not sure how we'd survive as involved in our conversations as we are (don't panic anyone...we really do pay more attention to the road than it sounds like!)! Something that started out when we were all around 16 years old has carried on way longer than any of us ever imagined it would. We used to solve the problems of the world on our drives when we were just kids.

When you grow up and go to college or get a job, you tend to lose your childhood friends. That's happened to us. The kids that we hung out with growing up aren't around anymore. Some are married. Some have moved. Some we've just drifted away from. But at least for now, the three of us are as close as ever. We've made some new friends that don't replace the ones we've lost, but are just as important to us (you know who you are!) Time marches on, and inevitably it will march on for us one day as husbands, careers, families, and whatever other plans God has for us come to pass. For now though, we have this time. For now, we have the chance to make the memories together that we'll treasure forever and ever. And for now, we're content in so much as God has given us.

Bonfire Night

Note to Reader: I've been gone a long time. A really long time. In the past year I've become a youth group leader (boy is that material for a future post!) student taught, graduated college, substitute taught, and started a master's degree. Life has finally started to settle into a comfy routine for me so I hope that this time around I can manage to keep up with this crazy thing I call my blog! Bear with me! If I don't post, yell at me. Please. Help me!

Sitting around a bonfire is a pretty common place for my memories to occur. I can't tell you how many great memories I have that involve fire. Logan and Debbie's hair, Peter and the blanket monster, singing around the fire, melting pop cans...the list goes on and on. I made another memory around a bonfire last night.

A bonfire. Not the bonfire from the night we're

talking about but one very similar to it from the past.

Debbie had the Sr. BYF (technically since I'm the Jr. BYF leader now I'm not Sr. BYF, but we pretend whenever I don't have a Jr. BYF event at the same time) over to her house for a bonfire last night. Her rule is no roasting anything (that developed shortly after Logan caught someone's hair on fire) so we had pizza instead. Before it got dark, the boys and younger girls played basketball leaving Debbie, Sarah, JulieBeth, and I mostly to ourselves around the fire. We talked and caught up a bit on life since the 4 of us rarely get to talk these days. After it got dark, the younger kids came over and we all moved in closer to the fire (it was really cold for mid-September!). We talked for awhile longer and eventually started singing some of our favorite church songs. Anyone who knows the majority of us knows that singing is basically a staple in any church event we have. It's what we do.

Then suddenly out of the blue, Debbie says, "Alright, I have to teach you girls (the girls is typically Sarah, JulieBeth, and I) something." So naturally we say "Okay." The next words from her mouth would have shocked us 10 years ago. They seem like a normal thing to say now. This should sufficiently prove to you our insanity. She says, and I quote, "I have to teach you to play your noses in harmony!". So like any "normal" 20 something year old girls, we immediately do what she is doing and "tune up" our noses, laughing all the while. I unfortunately had a cold that didn't permit me to properly "play". Later after I went the the bathroom and returned with a "clear" nose, I announced it to the girls and Deb and we proceeded to tune up again and play "Amazing Grace" on our noses. In harmony. It was a proud moment.

The younger kids were staring. Ari asked, "Did you guys just play Amazing Grace on your noses?". "Why yes, yes we did!" we replied proudly. I couldn't see in the dark, but I'm pretty sure they were rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at us. But that's okay. One day they'll look back and remember the night the older girls entertained them with nose harmony (not to mention the "scary story" Debbie told about the night her and Letha first began to play their noses in harmony in the creepy James Woods) and they'll smile and realize that they too were making memories!

First sleep, last sleep

Note to Reader: This was written over a year ago. I'm just now getting around to posting these. Sorry!

It's past one in the morning and I'm sitting in a room I've made some amazing memories in! It's my dorm room in North Towers. I have a massive pile of totes that are filled with my belongings at the foot of my bed. Dana, one of my best friends has only a small pile of things sitting beside her bed. Both of our chests, closets, and desks are rather barren now. My posters are still covering the walls, while Dana's are packed neatly away. Maybe you're wondering why this is significant in any way to a blog about memories. So please, let me put you out of your misery! Tonight's the last night that I'll be staying in North Towers. My last night of being an "on campus" college student. Dana and I are getting an apartment in the fall while we student teach, so our little room with the blotchy walls and sketchy carpet is being passed down to the next lucky pair of roommates to enter it. Concord sure did put a price on it (a pretty penny!) but the memories I have in it are simply priceless!

If I went on to name every memory, I'd never get to sleep in my room again! So I'll simply share one (or maybe two...) with you!

Dana and I are notorious for rearranging our room! It changes at least 3 times a semester! Our favorite way to keep our beds is with one in a loft style and with the other bed underneath it in a "L" shape. When we arrange our beds this way it's always in the same corner of the room. But this time we decided it would be fun to try it in the other corner! So we went to rearranging as always. This may have been the biggest task we'd taken on considering we were moving everything to the opposite sides of the room! The two of us got pretty far all on our own but eventually had to call in the troops (the troops being Jason, JulieBeth, and maybe Brett and Nessa). After 3 hours of moving furniture, making beds, rearranging desks, and a few weird looks from the suite-mates, we were finished! So everyone left besides Dana and I. It wasn't too long before we realized that the new arrangement wasn't going to work. Neither one of us were able to sleep that night and decided first thing in the morning to try it again. So after a few drawings to figure out where we were moving furniture this time, we tried it again. Needless to say we were on our own this time. The troops were disgusted with their fickle commanders! But Dana and I could sleep at night and that was all that mattered!

And then there is ofcourse the night that the lights went out at Concord! The only thing the cafeteria offered at times like this were cold, old sandwiches. Not exactly our idea of "good cuisine". So the gang went off to the mall for dinner at Macados. After we stuffed ourselves, we thought we should walk it off by shopping in the mall. Hence, Annie came to live with us. You're probably wondering who Annie is. She's the hamster I found in the pet store and couldn't possibly live without (within a week I was sick of being a hamster mommy who was awakened at all hours of the night by my nocturnal child).

Annie (before she made me lose sleep and hate her)!

Driving into Athens was beyond creepy that night. There wasn't a light on anywhere in town. We stopped at Jason's house for some food (like we needed it!) and ended up leaving with a handful of glow sticks and some pickles if I remember right. Seeing as candles are prohibited in the dorms, we found that our glow sticks served as reasonable light, at least for our purposes.

The six bored college students (you have no idea how many tries it took to get this self-portrait of all of us in the dark)!

I think we're all well aware that 6 bored college students who have no intentions of doing homework by glow stick light rarely leads to anything "good". After a few rounds of "Never Have I Ever" (the cherry coke version, people!) someone's glow stick sprung a leak and dripped onto the carpet. And the liquid continued to glow. Ideas were born (we are after all informed and thoughtful decision makers at good old CU). Scissors were found. Glow sticks were cut open and splattered all over the room. Eventually they made their way to the bathroom which happened to be the darkest room in the dorm. The glow stick goo shined brighter in there than in the room or foyer. Hence the birth of peeing in space! I think we laughed for hours (read: months) over this one.

Peeing in space looks something like this (Not really. It's way cooler!).

So as you can see this room has had some great times hosted in it. Leaving it is a bit like leaving a part of myself behind. I'm sad, but I'm looking forward to what new adventures God has in store for my friends and I. The apartment (which we have yet to find) will be different for sure, but we can make memories there just like we've made in this cozy little dorm room. So over and out North Towers room 208A. You'll be missed and thanks for the memories!

Hey, how are you?

I was walking to the library today and someone I know walked by and said, "Hey, how are you?". We all know the typical response to this is something along the lines of "I'm fine! How are you?" And that's what I said. But not before the thousand little thoughts that run through your head in a split second came along. Stressed, worried, annoyed, tired...all of those were tempted to fly from my tounge. After all, that's how I'm feeling at the moment. It's finals time and this is my last semester of classes before I'll student teach in the fall. But I said "I'm good!".

How many times in the past week, month, year have you and I said this? Why in the world do we lie to people who ask us how we are? Sure, it is a bit of a rhetorical question. Our acquaintance passing us on the sidewalk or in Walmart doesn't really have any desire for us to pour out our life burdens on them when they're late for class or just buying a loaf of bread! We all know the person who when you ask them the question, start out with something like, "Well, not so good! First, this morning...then...". You know the one! It's not someone you know well, it's just that random person you see once in awhile. So now when you see them, you immediately say to yourself, "Just say hello. Keep walking." It makes us uncomfortable when virtual strangers share their life with us, right?

But I've been chasing rabbits here. Back to the original point, why do we lie and say we're fine? After I said I was good this morning, I thought to myself, "Me, good right now? Yeah right! What a lie!" But then I heard that still, small voice:

"You're not good? You're saved, aren't you? You're forgiven! You have a best friend that never leaves you! You're loved beyond your wildest dreams! You have a mom, dad, and sister who love you! A church family who loves you and you love! Friends who are always there for you! Food in abundance, every bit of clothes you need and then some!"

Guess I needed a reality check, huh? I worry about all of these things that seem to make my life so bad, but when I stand still for just a second and reflect on what I really have, it looks to me like life is good! I'm saved, so when I say "I'm fine" there are never truer words!

When I'm stressed over passing math, God's still on His throne!

When I'm worried about my future, Jesus already knows the amazing plans He has for me!

When I'm wondering if Mr. Right will ever come along, I'm already loved more than I know!

When I'm exhausted from studying all night, Jesus promises to be my strength!

If this post doesn't seem to go along with the memories theme of this blog to you, think of it as a new memory I've made! A lesson learned that I'll always remember! So the next person that comes along and says "Hey, how are you?" I can say with and honest heart, "I'm just fine!"

So how are you today?

One Lady, Five Teenagers, a Power Tool and a Screw

Note to reader: I wrote this post a long time ago. I'm just now posting it. Sorry!

Sr. BYF, the youth group at my church was most definitely one of the most important things in my life growing up. Some evenings after school we would get off of the bus at the church for whatever Debbie had planned for the evening. Whether it was a scavenger hunt in her engulfing woods (one of my favorites) a trip to the local eatery, Fat Eddie's, or an afternoon at the church to sing, it was always the highlight of my week. I'm sure you'll be privileged to hear many more memories from Sr. BYF since many of my best memories involve it!

The particular evening I'm thinking of was Friday night in mid-December, right before Christmas. Peter, Sarah, JulieBeth, Stacey and I were at the church helping Debbie put up the scenery for the Christmas play.

As I said, we were putting up the scenery for the play and that involved a few power tools. It was on this night that we found the hilarity of the word, "screw". Before I go any further, you need to know that Debbie gets a little loopy when it gets close to play time (Sorry Debs, I love you. It's true though!). On this particular evening she was extra loopy. As she was using the power drill to anchor something down behind the set, the rest of us were doing other odd jobs and handing her the necessary tools as she asked for them. All was normal. And then she asked for a screw. Except for she didn't ask for a screw like a normal person would. She put on this nutty accent (British? Australian? I have no idea! [Edit: Scottish. She says it was Scottish.]) and drew it out. "Sckrough?!" (that's the best I can sound it out. :P). We all stopped. We all looked at each other. Then we all laughed like crazy people. Needless to say the rest of the evening (Read: ever since then no matter who we are around) none our us said "screw" like a normal person.

A screw. (Think Scottish).

Not long after it came up again when we were working on a project at the church. Oddly enough, the rest of the Sr. BYF (who wasn't present the first time) didn't appreciate the hilarity of our word, even after being told the story. I guess for some memories, you just have to be there!

Sunday Radio Stars

I never really planned to remember this crazy Sunday afternoon. But I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 16 years old and it was a typical Sunday morning. For the most part. Julie Beth was in Home Ec. class and had been assigned one of those living baby dolls for the weekend so she had to bring the thing to church with her that morning. She, being 14 and incredibly self conscious as most girls her age are, was terrified it was going to break into mechanic sounding screams while the preacher was preaching. She sat near the back of the church and pushed the dolls car seat under the bench, trying to pretend it didn't exist. Unfortunately for her, baby boy was determined to let mommy know he hadn't forgotten about her.

I'm not sure the poor doll got an entire shriek out before JB had grabbed it out of it's seat and was out the swinging doors of the sanctuary fumbling for the key that would shut it up. Still in the sanctuary I was silently laughing so hard that I was almost crying and the few people sitting behind us were looking baffled. She came back in a few minutes later, looking extremely disgusted and embarrassed. I was still laughing.

Peter was working at the radio station on Sunday afternoons then so we all loaded up in his red car and went to the station to hang out with him. It was one of those afternoons where everything anyone did was hysterical. Julie Beth was a little sleep deprived from playing mommy dearest for the weekend. And anyone who knows Julie Beth, knows that sleep deprivation can only lead to two things. A) Extreme grouchiness or B) Insane silliness. This was a option B kind of day. Every song that played she was dancing with and lip syncing. I remember taking the picture above and laughing hysterically. Peter, as usual, was "above" our silliness. Never mind that he's only 3 months older than me. But as for Sarah and I, we found Julie Beth's antics hilarious. We all sang and pretended that we were the stars, reaching for dreams that we knew were above our realms of possibilities but believing in them none the less.

Crazy afternoons like these were a typical part of life growing up as a "Mt. Pleasant Kid". But this was one of these afternoons that always brings back a smile no matter what kind of day I'm having. We had no idea we were making a memory. Maybe it was just me making a memory. But forever in my heart I have a memory of a carefree afternoon with my best friends. God was giving us the very best years of our life and despite the everyday reminders we didn't realize it. We were happy and content, blissfully unaware that our lives would one day be so different. And for that day it was enough.

Welcome to my world

"You're makin' memories girls!" Nearly every week of my junior high and high school years I heard my amazing youth group leader, Debbie, tell my best friends and I those very words. Over and over and over until we were copying her and giggling over it like average teenage girls do. We'd roll our eyes and groan and say the typical, "I know, I know".

One funny thing about humans is we can hear something without really listening. Example? The lawn mower has been humming in the background of my thoughts for the past hour. But until I focus on that sound and assign it meaning, I'm not listening to it. It's completely meaningless.

Looking back today, I am awe struck at how many times my friends and I were laughing and joking, never realizing that the very moment we were living would become one of our fondest memories. At the time these moments were meaningless words and giggles. Today, I look back and listen again and again to the memory forever sealed in my mind.

In this blog I want to share the moments that become memories. Some from the past, some from today. But always a moment that is a classic "makin' memories" moment. After all "we're makin' memories" every day!

Edit: The original idea of this blog was for only memories but as you can see in the description, that's changed a bit. I want to use this blog to glorify God through the gifts of memories that He gives! Read on!