Held Together

 I've been working on making more wallets and clutches lately, with the hopes of selling them someday. This one I just made today. I love yellow and purple.

 a traditional wallet...complete with ID pocket

 duct tape flowers are fun to make, and super easy.

 I haven't purchased the tape with prints on them, so I thought this might be the next best thing. the outside of the clutch has small pink squares down the center.

 I love bow ties, so I tried to make a real one rather than a pre-tied one. Dad successfully tied it and it looks pretty cool, I think

 I read that with crafts, before you try to sell them you should brand them, so I'm creating "held together" inspired by Colossians 1:17 that says "In Him all things hold together." the logo is "ht" What do you think?

 This is my basket of all my latest works. It also serves and a tape holder when I cut small pieces

Tape!

Worship, Squirrels, and Toes...

 At Emerge last week, we watched a clip from this year's Passion Conference. I love hearing Louis Giglio. He has an amazing gift of speaking to college students. I love it. God is definitely using him for great things.

 My latest creations from duct tape...a "C" for Courtney of course, a hairbow, and a pen flower

 Baking is one of my spiritual gifts, I think. I hope those who eat my creations will agree. We had two groups of volunteers over for dessert one evening, so of course I made cupcakes, but I also made ice cream sandwich cake, which was a big hit.

 The other night I heard one of the puppies barking in our yard, so I went out to see what was going on and I found these two tiny little squirrels at the base of a really tall tree. I was afraid that the dogs would try to eat it, so I walked over to them. One crawled over to the trunk of the tree, but the other one didn't move. I was afraid I was too late, but it opened its eyes and used its head to push its body up. After a while just watching it, I picked it up and put in on the tree trunk next to the other baby squirrel. I did some research online and found out that it can take a mother squirrel hours to make a new nest, but she would come back for the babies, usually before night fall, but if they weren't warm she might not recognize them anymore. In fear that the mother might not come back or the babies might get cold, I took a shoe box with a towel in it out to the yard, prepared to keep them for the night at least, but I couldn't find them anywhere. I really hope the mother came back for them.

 This week for chapel, we had a Seder Meal (yes, it is a little too early for it). It was a really great experience, and I cant wait to be able to participate in the real deal with a meal at a local church. I would love to be able to spend Passover with my brother in South Carolina this year.

I love symbolism and traditions of faith, and nothing gets cooler than this last thing Jesus did with the disciples before he was put to death. breaking bread and toasting to the greatness of God. yes please.

So, it's St. Patty's day...my mom and I went to get pedicures this morning. I'm not sure what I was thinking or if I was just in a green mood, but I choose this lovely green...and on the way home I bought a new shade of nail polish that is a little less GREEN and a little more easter blue/green :)

Man's Best Friend

 This puppy, my favorite of the litter, just found a new home! She's the friendliest of the bunch...I hope her new family treats her like the little princess she is...

 I was trying to take a picture of the babies, but momma wanted attention. The puppies drank her milk a little longer than they probably should have, but momma was ok as long as she got to eat and drink when she wanted. I'm sure those tiny little teeth got pretty annoying.

 One day I was outside when I heard some commotion next to our house. This little girl was trying to drink water out of the watering can when she lost balance of her back legs and went head first into the can. I pulled her out, her head soaking wet, gasping for air, but she was so thirsty she went back for more....but she was pretty cute doing it.

 These are the two boys of the litter. They are so incredibly shy, but super sweet once they learn to trust you. Sometimes, they sleep under the house next door, but its clearly just a fun place for them to run through when they are playing.

For a while I thought there were only 5 puppies, but this week we met the most shy little guy. He's learning to trust us and knows that we will feed him whenever he's here, so he's coming around. He was the sixth, but now that my little baby got adopted, we're back to five.

I love to just sit and watch all of them interact together. Most of the time they end up rolling around in the grass using each other as chew toys, but every once in a while I'll find them all sprawled out napping in the yard.

The cutest little things in the world.

Break Every Chain

This morning, I woke up and new that it was a beautiful day, so I put on my clothes and took my computer and journal outside to the porch. I was listening to a station I made on Pandora for Jesus Culture and I had listened to a few songs already when a song played with the lyrics "there is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain." The song was so powerful and the lyrics so moving that I doodled it in my journal.

Moments later, a neighbor's dog came up to me. She's a beautiful dog who recently had puppies. Sometimes when she walks over to our house, two or three little pups will be trailing her like little ducklings. Today was different though. No puppies were following her, and she didn't look very happy. There was a chain around her neck that appeared too tight. It was so long that it was getting caught in her back paws when she walked up to see me.

 After talking to my parents about it, I spent some time just sitting with her in the yard. Its amazing to me how just sitting and petting an animal can show them love in ways they might not ever get at home. When she was laying in the grass, I noticed that the chain was not only too tight, it was rubbing against her skin so much that it was raw and almost bleeding. At that point I knew I couldn't just leave it on her. I got some pliers and freed her from the chain.

I love metaphors.

Sometimes we are like that poor, sad dog wandering for help just looking for someone who can release us from the chains that bind us to our sin and things of this world. There is only one who can truly remove that bondage that we feel. His name is powerful enough to break ANY chain.

Pt. 4: Let the Sun Shine In

 I love the weather before a storm. It's a little windy, a little sunny still. The way the beams of sunlight break through the clouds makes me wonder how glorious it must be from God's view. It doesn't hurt to experience this feeling from under a beautiful, old tree in a neighborhood park. This is where I see God and I am still enough to hear Him speak to me; where life slows down enough so the rest of the world doesn't matter.

"Be still, and know that I AM God."

Pt. 3: Cleaning Up the Past...

 In my last week working at Nancy's, I decided to clean and label everything so that the girls working after me would know where everything goes. This was the end result...a beautiful, clean workspace. This is where flour and sugar become cupcake batter and confectioner sugar becomes icing. Baking is a beautiful, therapeutic thing. 

This, however, is the result of baking with a bad attitude. I burnt the crap out of my arm on the side of the oven while pulling my cupcakes out. It was quite a horrible feeling, but now it's just a pink scar, a reminder of my short lived career as a baker.

One thought at a time, Pt 2: Worship

Two weeks ago at Emerge, we had a prayer service that really got me thinking. 

The lights were dim, only pointed at the cross in the center of the room or candles under pictures of things we were praying for. Jhavonn and I taped a labyrinth on the stage that led to the cross with candles around it. With everyone barefoot, singing and praying, walking and crying, it was simply an incredible experience. 

I got to pray with a few girls who have shared their struggles with me and some even prayed for me; it is such a blessing to have people to share burdens with, knowing that in the body of Christ when we lean on each other we are only making the body stronger. 

I want to plan a weekend of prayer and worship for the women at Huntingdon. I think bringing us together for corporate prayer could really create something good. I would really love to focus on women and our roles as Christians. I am learning so much in my life right now, I just want to keep learning and sharing with others. I think I found something I'm really passionate about :)

Last night, we moved our worship service to a new location because the auditorium we were using is being renovated. The new location is on the third floor of an old residence hall on campus, in two rooms that we knocked a wall out between. After a little hard work, the room is a great space for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. I am really excited to see what (and who) God brings to this new location.

The lesson last night was on Christian Perfection. Dr. Jeffcoat spoke from a Wesleyan perspective all about sin in the believer. One thing that really got me was a quote from John Wesley, "Christ cannot reign where sin reigns. Neither will He dwell where any sin is allowed. However, He dwells in the hearts of believers who fight against every sin." or as Dr. J put it, "Sin may remain, but Christ REIGNS!"  Christ enters to bring dominion over sin.