91/365

Jesus... It's all about you!



Sunday  morning Sarah and I went for a run at the dikes- watched the sun rise over the lake, causing the misty water to evaporate into a clear, BEAUTIFUL morning. What a blessing to ((1- Go for a run and ENJOY it 2- be reminded of God's mercies that are new EVERY morning (just as the sun rises every morning) 3- listen to my ipod :).

Typically when I run, I don't listen to music. Lately, I've started this habit, and I'm realizing how much it REALLY improves the enjoyment level of a run. Who knew I'd have such an earth shattering discovery after so many years of enjoying this hobby. 

I've got a playlist that I like to listen to to refocus my mind, especially on early morning runs, and one of the songs I listened to several times (went through the 7 songs three times during the course of the run!) is "Heart of Worship". I heard this song the first time at the funeral of one of my very dear friends, and since that day it has been a huge encouragement and rebuke to me. The other morning, I was focusing on the words- "I'm coming back to the heart of worship. It's all about YOU, Jesus." What a great reminder that my life is not at ALL about me, but it's about the person of Jesus Christ.

I have lost sight of that so much here recently. I feel like my mind is in a constant battle with itself- who and what in my life is going to consume me? Is my life really all about the worship of Jesus Christ? When I'm going to work every morning, am I finding joy in my job because of Jesus Christ? Am I finding joy in washing dishes, changing diapers (which is not my favorite task of being an Auntie...), doing things I really don't love to do? Dan touched on this Sunday morning in his message at church, and I was so rebuked. Am I living out the work of the "ministry" in my every day life?

I feel like so often I compartmentalize my life. I worship Christ on Sunday's, I do the business thing from 8:30-5 on Monday through Friday's, I do something exciting on the weekend, then I get back to that heart of worship on Sunday. BUT, every task of my life should be out of a heart of worship to Jesus. After all, life is ALL about HIM.

Anyways, for what it's worth, if you're struggling where you are in life, with the tasks that God has laid before you TODAY (even if it's as simple as a test or as major as a job loss), remember that through it all, the HEART of WORSHIP towards Jesus is what our lives are all about. Take time to worship Jesus Christ in the life He has given you... I encourage you to play the song above and meditate and pray through the words. It's pretty powerful. Hope you're encouraged as I have been.

I'm so thankful that life is all about Jesus- yes, we can enjoy trivial things on this earth, but even in the enjoyment of those things, we can worship Jesus!

90/365

Kathryn's Big Debut... :)

We wanted to take some pictures of Kathryn before she loses her newborn "look-- I wish she would stay a sweet, tiny, 7lb baby forever, but life just doesn't seem to work like that. :)

The gown that Kathryn is wearing in most of these pictures is 96 years old. It's been passed down through the Rolston (Grandma Kline) family for many generations. Kathryn didn't really feel up to the photo shoot, so we didn't get much "open-eye action", but we were able to capture a few sweet moments in the life of this precious little girl.



When all else fails, grab the pacifier!



Big Yawn! I think it's time to call it quits, Auntie Alli!

89/365

What a day!

So, this morning started off with a Priscilla's heart breakfast at church. Betty Lafond was our guest speaker of the morning. She and her husband are involved in prison ministry, and it was so neat to hear her perspective of what God is doing in them and through them. It was so encouraging to listen to the testimony of an ordinary lady whom God has used in a tremendous way to support her husband for the ministry God has called him to.

It's funny, because I was DREADING getting up so early on a Saturday (the weeks are insanely busy, sometimes I just want to SLEEP in!), but by 10am I was soooo thankful and encouraged in the Lord. God always gives us a boost of encouragement right when we need it.

The rest of the day involved a wedding shower for my dear friend Ran and a Baby shower for Brooke and Jonathan Millsaps. What a fun time celebrating the arrival of little Kendall!

Kat Bougie, Brooke Millsaps (and Kendall) and me

88/365

GREEEENVILLE......

Steph Richardson and I went downtown on a little excursion tonight, walked up and down the streets trying to determine where we wanted to eat, and ended up at a random Greek and Italian restaurant called Kozani. It was not my favorite restaurant of all time (just want to make sure you get a proper restaurant review :)), but their desserts were incredible. We just wanted something CHOCOLATE... and that's what we got. :)

Great night!

87/365

Jeremiah 29:11

I know that I have probably shared this verse in posts before (and will probably share it again and again and again...), but the Lord has just been bringing this verse to my mind over the last few days.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

I spent the evening at Brad's family farm, and it was just so neat to be out in the middle of nowhere- nothing there but freshly bush-hogged fields, a guitar, a stream... and most importantly a 94-year-old grandma. What a fun time to stop and remember that life isn't all about the craziness going on... We have to take the time to stop and enjoy the blessings TODAY that God has given us TODAY. It's amazing how thoughts of the future so easily consume my mind. I sit and analyze every situation and idea that is thrown my way. I get so bogged down with thoughts of "Lord, what will the next 2 years look like... 5 years... am I really doing what I'm supposed to be doing? Did I miss out on something you had for me?..." On and on my little mind wanders, and so quickly I forget to look around at the little blessings that are ALL around me. I am called to live a life glorifying and praising God, and when I am too focused on the future to even see TODAY, how is that praising Jesus? It's not!!

So, today, I'm thankful for today. Thankful for friendship, thankful for family, thankful for Brad's family farm and his grandma who is still enjoying life... thankful for encouragement in the WORD, and the fact that I don't have to even consider my future. I just have to walk today by faith, keep my eyes focused on Christ, and in 10 years, I'll be right where I need to be. What a blessing!

86/365

ALL IN...

Tonight I had the great opportunity to hear Dabo Swinney share his testimony at Crosspoint Church in Clemson. It was really neat to see a man use his platform to present Christ. Here is a guy who is respected (atleast in Clemson...) for his job and looked up to by so many, yet his desire is to get up there, put himself aside, and share His REAL realtionship with Jesus Christ.

It is so neat to see Christ proclaimed by so many different people with so many different backgrounds. It's just an evidence of His reality. Faith building.

Thankful for such an awesome God!!!

82-85/365

oooops :)... GREAT weekend full of great memories, but I missed a few days of blogging! So, I'm going to lump my entries all in ONE! (this is against my original objective of a praise a day, but I'm going back to review 4 days worth of praises! :)
82- KATIE CAMPBELL visited Clemson!!! How much fun was this?! I picked her up from the airport on Thursday night at 11:20pm, and we just had a great time! I am so thankful God gave our family such a great sister-in-law!

I. Am. Blessed!



OF COURSE while Katie was here we went on a date... to Chick-fil-A and the airport.
Katie treated us on the date... it was so much fun!



If Daniel isn't a pilot when he grows up... I will be shocked!
He LOVES airplanes! He wanted to fly in one. . .

Katie got to meet Kathryn!!!

83- Friday I was able to hang out with a friend from out of town- Brient Hobbs. We went to "The Lemongrass Restaurant" (once we found it!) and it was DE-licious! Got to spend some time with little Kathryn and Rach in Greenville, also... which was a blast! Downtown Greenville is such a fun place to spend an evening! Thankful!

84- HAPPY BIRTHDAY BENTON!!!!  Saturday we celebrated the life of my favorite little Benton in all of the world! Of course, Daniel thought the party was for him. What's one more party, right? I think this makes about 7 or 8!! Got a little kayaking action in as well... AND coffee at the Cafe downtown Pendleton. (If you've never tried it out, you SHOULD!)



They have a fascination with TP...



Daniel and Benton both got what is called a "reward potty" for their birthdays.
There is a little storage compartment to keep candy- for their "reward". SOOO weird!
The best part of it all is the TP holder. Both the boys were so excited to go potty-
potty training might not be too difficult with these two!

Brient, Sarah, Jon, Katie and me... enjoying cake, enjoying being together! Fun night!



85- Double-Whammy Sunday... Got to hear very convicting messages from both brother-in-law's (thankful for their passion for the Word), and end the evening with Wii Just DANCE at Bryan and Rachel Burton's. Spent alot of time with the family, also... which is ALWAYS a plus!
All-in-all a GREAT weekend full of family, friends, laughter... I am so thankful and blessed!

81/365

KATIE IS COMING TO VISIT TODAY!!!!!

:)

80/365

Power Group

Thankful for my powergroup at Cross Impact... for prayer, for encouragement in the Word.

We have been studying the life of Peter, and we focused on Peter's denial of Christ. It's amazing to think that somebody who actually WALKED with Christ could deny Him. I sit here and think, "Man, if I could actually touch Jesus there is NO WAY I would ever deny Him! If I walked with Him, there is NO WAY I could do that!" Yet, Peter does. He caves to the fear of man and without thinking denies his Savior.

It was convicting to me tonight, because how often in my own ways am I caving to the fear of man and denying my Savior? It might look a little different than what we see with the account of Peter, but all in all, it's the same denial. When I choose to put myself above Christ, I am denying Him.

Convicting. Thankful. How incredible that the Word of God (and the Spirit!) continually convicts.

79/365

Post-Valentines Bash :)

Tonight included take-out chinese, fondue and Pride and Prejudice with GREAT friends! We love valentines day so much around here that we thought we'd just continue the celebration!

Natalie, Victoria, Anna, Kelly, Steph and I decided to make dessert fondue to follow
up our incredible chinese take-out...

I don't know if we had enough options for dipping!

Thanks to Mrs. Lew we had these adorable "Valentine sushi" to dip in our fondue- delicious!

78/365

True Love

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, [1] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [2] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So, for valentines day I was able to go on a special date with the one and only Daniel Smetana, Jr. We had a blast- started at Chick-fil-A, then went to the Clemson Airport, and concluded the day with a nap. All in all, a true gift from Jesus.



Daniel got a carnation for me... he doesn't realize yet
that he's supposed to GIVE it to me. He gripped it tight his
WHOLE meal!! There was a family who came in and gave us a
frog balloon also- Daniel REALLY loved that!!!



After eating ALL of our chicken nuggets and MOST of our fruit, we
got to play at the playground. Daniel was so excited to go on our
date to chick-fil-A that when I first said "Daniel, want to go on a date
to Chick-fil-A?!" He replied "Shlide!!!" He is scared to go down the slide
in the playroom still, but he is enamored with it! We had a blast!!!

The only picture of us on our date... isn't he handsome? ;)



As if Chick-fil-A wasn't enough, we continued our date to the Clemson airport
where we saw two small planes take off. Daniel loved it!! "PLANE! BYE!"

What a fun little outing with a sweet boy- who in the five minute ride from the airport to my house fell asleep (with balloon and flower in hand). :)

77/365

Going to work with Bopa...



I'm not feeling so great about my job security anymore... Kathryn might be taking my job!!






76/365

Girl's weekend... SUCCESS!!

This weekend, Amy Ledbetter, Karrie Elliott, Anna Whitwell and I decided to plan a quick trip to, in my opinion, the GREATEST vacation spot in all of the world. (Well, I could think of a few that might come close... France, Italy, Cruise to Alaska, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, Clemson, ....) We had a great weekend relaxing, running the bridge, eating GREAT seafood, laughing ALOT... I am very thankful and encouraged after spending a great 48 hours with these three.

Thankful for Charleston, thankful for friends! (And thankful for the SUNSET at the Wreck...)

Sunset at the Wreck...



THIS is the Wreck- the most incredible restaurant in Charleston.
If you want Seafood, this is where you need to go!

 

Karrie's AMAZING fish...



Breakfast at Poogans Porch after we ran the bridge... (their shrimp and grits
is to die for!!) (Can you tell all we did on this trip was eat??) :)



I love the painted ceilings on the porches... one day I will have a painted celing
over a porch. (maybe....)

I'm just practicing... you didn't know I traveled to churches in Charleston
to perform Jazz Vespers, huh?

Amy Ledbetter




Karrie Elliott




Anna Whitwell

When you see a gorgeous old church with RED DOORS... you can't help but take a few shots! :)





Thanks to Karrie for this great shot!



We visited the citadel- just in time for our Bagpipe Contest.
Unfortunately, neither of us won.
Sad day.

The trip ended right... at Rush's!

75/365

CHARLESTON!!!!!




Dinner at the Wreck- delicious!




Have I ever mentioned that I love this city?!



74/365

Sydney Vernon :)

Tonight I spent the evening with one of my very best friends from high school, and it was just such a blessing. It's funny how throughout our high school/college years it's as if we've gone through similar situations in our personal lives at the same time. I love how God brings the exact people into our lives to speak truth to us- not just out of habit because it's "the christian thing to do", but because they are going through the same hardship/victory. I just thank God for Syd :). Tonight she was sharing with me what God is doing, and it's all summed up in this poem. I thought it was incredible-- an honest prayer to the Lord that I believe many of us can relate to.

Hope it's a blessing.  (It doesn't have a title yet, so IF YOU STEAL IT, name it, and claim it, you will be tracked down!! ) ;)


"I hold on to this burden although my strength is gone,
It's time for me to let it go, my one chance to move on.
I feel too ashamed to pray to God and embarrassed by my sin,
Why should He clean up the mess that I got myself in?

But I can't handle all the pain withought my Saviors love,
I need to break through cloudy skies and see the light above.
Jesus, I'm done running from my past and from my pain,
You lifted me from brokenness and called me by my name.

You said You'll never leave me and dried up all my tears,
Every prayer that leaves my lips You are bound to hear.
I'm sorry for losing sight of You and focusing on me,
I want to live a better life, to make You proud of me.

Jesus I am begging You to turn my life around
I'm thankful for forgiveness and for the peace I've found.
Bless my life and lead me to the path that I should take,
Help me find the road that leads me past all my mistakes."


What I loved about this poem is the truth it speaks about God. God has lifted us from brokenness- He's a God who desires to restore broken, worthless people. He's promised not to leave us nor forsake us, and He's the God of comfort (drying our tears). He gives us purpose in Life! He hears us when we cry to Him. He has the power to turn a life around- to transform us from our wicked flesh to God-honoring glory bearers of Jesus Christ. He desires to bless us because He loves us THAT MUCH! (because there's nothing that we can do to merit His blessing and His love.) He will show us the path we should take, and He has already forgiven our past mistakes. He's just an incredible Savior.

So... thankful for friends who see our God as such a powerful, compassionate, forgiving Savior. Tonight spending time with Sydney built my faith. I thank God for that.

72/365

Bubba Doo...

Benton is always exploring. I'm thankful for the adventure and excitement in life these little boys have. You can never grow too old to climb in the pantry. :)

71/365

Katie Campbell

I JUST AM SO THANKFUL FOR HER!!!! I am telling you, God blessed our family with this lady! I was actually looking through wedding pictures earlier today and was thinking about how exciting it was when Katie joined our family- and how she's reached out to me (and all of us) from day 1. She's pretty much the best! :) That is all....

I love looking back at this day... one of the best days in the world!!

And if you want encouragement, check out her blog.... :) Then you'll understand even MORE why I'm thankful for her!!

http://monroeandkatiecampbell.blogspot.com/2011/02/if-this-life-i-lose-i-will-follow.html?spref=fb

70/365

Fondue + Fundue

Tonight Katherine Bougie, Sarah Louise and I went to dinner at the Melting Pot in Greenville. The first Monday night of every month (in Greenville) they have a special for "girl's night out"... so we took advantage. It was delcious! I just want to say that I am so thankful that God brings friends into your life that stick with you forever. When I think back through childhood, most of my memories involve Katherine and the whole Millsaps clan. It just makes me smile to think of the memories we have made together- from trips to the emergency room, to trips to Prince Edward Island.  I thank God for Katherine (and Sarah, of course!) and the role she has played in my life. True friends... the truest of friends... are hard to come by, and I thank God for giving me so many. Especially Kat. :)

GREAT night... the spinach artichoke cheese dip is to DIE for, and the ying yang dessert fondue is incredible. IF YOU GO, try it! You won't be disappointed! (and if you are, please don't blame me!)

69/365

Super Bowl with Grandma....

I watched the super bowl at Grandma Kline's house tonight. She is so cool! I just love that lady :) and am so thankful for her!

68/365

Best-Saturday-Ever

(only a handful of things could have made this day better!) :)

Well, my day started off in Clemson with a nice, foggy, rainy morning. Met Sarah, Laura Cross and Emily Cheadle in Greenville to head to the Biltmore for the morning/afternoon. By the time we were in Asheville, it was SUNNY! And BEAUTIFUL! We were sooo thankful!!

I love this house... I love this architecture. It is incredible!
(and the contrast of the sky next to the house was soooo beautiful!)

This is my favorite picture of the day, Emily! :)

3-2-1 JUMP!

These pictures probably get old, but I just think they're so much fun!

I'm thankful for these ladies and the fun trip we had... and the beautiful weather
that God gave us to enjoy the day.

This is my future vacation home... you can visit if you would like!

So, after the awesome Biltmore trip, I went back and spend the night with some friends... making sushi, drinking moe joe's coffee, and bowling. (sounds like the perfect most random combo, right? Welcome to the random life of Allison Campbell and her friends :))

Did you know that toasted nori (?) turns REALLY green!

It took alot of effort to chop up the veggies... Great work, Kelly...

Let the fun begin!!

This was our feast and it was incredible...

The best part of the meal was... we sat on PILLOWS!!!!

Did I mention we were able to go bowling for free?? :)

All in all, a GREAT, relaxing, fun-filled Saturday (with incredible friends). Thank you Lord!