stories to tell.

Title: Dave Barnes's newest CD, Stories to Tell. Favorite songs: "White Flag" and "Mine to Love"

I can't believe Junior year is almost over. 

Seriously, where has the time gone?

 Here's a little glimpse at what I've been doing with my last few weeks of the school year…

I took a few quick pictures of this awesome family

I went to the Atlanta Zoo for AOII formal with some of my favorite people

and of course I worked Auburn's A-Day

(Only 132 days until football season)

Life isn't all glamorous though.

I also wrote 3 papers in less than 24 hours,

Took 4 tests in one week, 

and am starting to mentally prepare for finals.

This may be how I feel about final exams now…

Unfortunately,  this is how I'll feel not too long from now…

Very unfortunate, indeed. 

true joy and a tutu.

This past week, I was blessed with the opportunity to take pictures of my favorite one-year-old (Ava Hayes) and her sweet momma. 

Here are a few of my favorites:

When I look back at these pictures, I see the joy that Ava Hayes had when she was simply playing in a park with her mom. She found joy in having tickle fights, walking around, looking at the dogs, and eating cheerios on a quilt. I wonder why everyone can't be as happy as a one-year-old and find joy in the simple things. Then I remember that Jesus calls us to be like children. In Matthew 18, Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." We really should situate ourselves so that we are completely dependent on God. It is only in that place where we will find true joy.

Spring Break 2012

Amplify: verb to make larger, greater, or stronger; enlarge; extend

I was blessed to be able to go on Amplify again this year for spring break. (See highlights of last year's trip here). I learned so much as we read through this book, worshipped on the beach, spent hours in prayer, and shared the Gospel. It was so humbling to be a small part of God's plan for the city and know that whatever I said to these people, it is God who can ultimately change their hearts.
The second half of the week some sweet friends and I drove over to Laguna Beach. We were able to catch up on sleep, lay in the sunshine, and take walks on the beach. And of course, there was lots of laughter involved with this group.

I'm so thankful for the gorgeous weather we had throughout the trip as it made spring break that much better.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.
-Psalm 19:1

On Memorizing Scripture.

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to Your Word.

With my whole heart I seek You;

let me not wander from Your commandments!

I have stored up Your Word in my heart,

that I might not sin against You.

Psalm 11:9-11

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

If you don't already memorize Scripture, the verses above should reinforce the importance of this area in faith. I think that people often get too caught up in everyday life to take the time to reflect on and memorize the Word of God. I know that I am often guilty of this very problem and this issue has been on my heart for a while. We should not forget the memory verses we have learned, nor should we stop learning new passages. Can you imagine how happy God is when His children recite His words back to Him? 

I know that there are a lot of different methods to memorize Scripture…I have heard of people who write down the verses over and over, put memory verses on the mirror, have accountability partners to make sure each of them is memorizing…the list goes on and on. I am just going to share what works best for me, which is what I learned through my church in Auburn.

Obviously the first thing is to find a verse that I want to memorize. This is usually pretty easy. 

I write down the passage in my journal and on a notecard.

Then I write down the first letter of every word on the inside of my wrist. (This may sound weird, but it really helps when you forget the next word and need a hint. This is also is a great conversation starter and reminder to constantly be focused on Jesus throughout the day).

Remember the notecard? I then take that notecard and place it in the front of my box.

Here's how the box is organized:
The last four verses I've memorized go in the front. I review these four every day. After I know the verse completely and need to add another one to the front, I move the notecard that's been in the front the longest to one of the sections that are divided by days of the week.

The rotation goes on as I continue to memorize new verses and eventually I will add sections for days of the month and move the notecards from the days of the week to these sections where I will review them once a month.
Make sense?
Mmkay good.
I probably explained that way more complicated than it actually is. Like I said, I learned this last year and it has worked great for me and I encourage people to try it. You won't regret having God's Word treasured in your heart!