329/365

Grace.

328/365

Clemson is 8-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great victory today against UNC... missed Dad and Mom being here, though!!

Deeeelicious cinnamon rolls!!!

Enjoyed the game with Katie... she called all the plays for me! ;)

GO TIGERS!

This has been such a FUN season... I've always loved being a Clemson fan (even when we lose), but it SURE IS EXCITING being a Tiger when you're winning! Now to gear up for next week... GT!

327/365

Fun day... everything about it!  Thankful for MADISON! She is such a blessing to me.

It's funny because people ask me how we met... which was about a year ago swing dancing!! Crazy how you meet people in the most random of places and you become such good friends. God bringing her to my life was so intentional. We're both walking through a lot of similar doors right now with our careers and with life in general, and it's been so neat to have each other. God has used her to just constantly point me to Him.... what a blessing. Love you, Madison! Thankful TODAY for you!

326/365

Met with my POWER group in Anderson tonight and had just the best time! Started the evening off with dinner downtown at JPeters, and ended it with a block party. In the middle was the CREAM of the Oreo! Spent a couple hours at Java City sipping on some DELICIOUS caramel coffee studying Galatians 5... walking in the Spirit.

This week we discussed the law and its purpose for us as believers. The law is such a beautiful picture of the character of Christ- perfect. So thankful that God sent His Son to live the perfect life and fulfill the law for us so we are no longer bound by it. What a gift.

As believers our purpose is glorify God through our lives... and as we grow in our relationship with Christ, the Spirit dwelling in us controls us which allows us to walk in a way that pleases Him. When we're walking in the Spirit,  we'll be living in a way that is compatible with God's Word and our lives will please God. It's our flesh that causes us to stray-- that silly little flesh. But the blessing is that no matter how often or how MUCH we fail, we are covered in the righteousness of Christ, and God is waiting to forgive and pour his love and mercy on us. What a compassionate Father we have.

We're pretty blessed. I'm blessed. Walked away tonight thankful that I'm not bound by the law.... but that I have an amazing Father who has covered me, who loves me, who is there to walk with me and pick me up when I fall.

OH and the most incredibly exciting part of the night was that there was a group of girls having a Bible study about 10 feet from us... and guess what they were studying? Well, you guessed right! The law. What a blessing-- love the reality of Christ and the working of the Spirit. Love the Spirit.

325/365

Ohhhh Hey it's Wednesday!

:) Half way through the week and still breathing! What a fun week!!! I feel like I'm still celebrating my birthday.... with a little studying here and there, oh and a little work thrown in there also.

It's been great to be back in the office getting work done. Love what I do. God has blessed me!

324/365

I love that Kathryn and Benton are in town....

Just chillin' on the couch, holding hands, and laughing at Aunt Stephanie. SO PRECIOUS!

They CANNOT go back to that state on the other side of the country. They just can't!!!

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Well.... today is my birthday. I am now 24 which is half of 48, or so I've been told. This is approximately a third of my life expectancy. I believe that with this new year comes new responsibility, a sense of maturity, growth, adulthood.

In honor of this day of birth, I received one exceptionally incredible voicemail and e-mail from those who have gone before and already celebrated this year of maturity. I thought I'd share it with those who care! :) (shout out to the winners of the "Most creative birthday wish to Allison" contest... Rachel and Bryyyyyan Buuuuurton!)

This has been one of my favorite birthdays! It started with the traditional breakfast in bed....

... and was followed by an iMessage from my dear little sister.... (yea yea, I know I'm so cool... iMessage... ha!)

...and then I spent some time out on the golf course with dad and Matt. My boss is pretty incredible. He gave us all the day off in honor of my birth! ;) After playing golf we went back to the house where we met up with the family for a trip to Anderson to go to FIVE GUYS!

All the family minus Monroe, Katie and MOM (who is taking the picture! ) :)
So glad STEPH could be there with us to celebrate the day! Honorary sister!!!

Dad has a habit of talking when his picture is being taken.... :)

WE love Five Guys!!! 

After dinner we went back to the house to eat cake and open gifts... the boys and Kathryn helped me blow out
my candles. THIS PICTURE makes me laugh so much. Candid. Love it that Kathryn's zoning in on the camera.
OH, and Sarah's expression-- she's going to kill me for this! :)

Too bad no icing on this cake! It's not QUITE as much fun to
like candles from a cake with no icing!

Forest and Elizabeth even came by to wish me a
'W'onderful BIRTHDAY!!!

As if the DAY hasn't been exciting enough, the end of the night entailed
some wii just dance for kids... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Matt was a pro! ;)

All in all, a GREAT day! I am truly blessed. Life is a gift, and I thank God for giving me 24 years of life... and more importantly, eternal life!

322/365

Matt had his ordination council last week (hence the reason all of the family is in town... which is DEFINITELY worthy of a "thanks Jesus" post :)). Sunday night we had Matt's ordination service at UBC which was such a blessing! The only negative about Matt being at this point in his life is because he is done with school, he's MOVED all the way out to Arizona. Our loss for sure, but so excited for them and what God is doing through their lives.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Mom, I just want you to know how thankful I am for you. I'm so thankful for you that I'm going to dedicate YET ANOTHER post to you, and not just any post, but a birthday-poem post.

I'll have you know that there have been several family members and close-close-close friends who've had poems written about them, but YOU are the only person who has had TWO poems written for you. (maybe with the exclusion of dad, but you're two in the same)

Anyways, for what it's worth, here's a poem.

MOM, YOU ARE THE BEST

Mom, you're the best,
You really are!
Mom, you're so cool,
I don't really need to write this poem to prove it!
Mom, you are just the bomb diggity,
and you're really pretty.
Mom, I should probably stop writing this poem now,
but I want to leave you with one thing...
Mom, you're the best!!!!

The end.

(I think my poetry skills are starting to fade away. Please don't have a birthday for a while- say till next year. Hopefully then I'll be brushed up on my talent and can write something a tad bit more creative.)

IN ALL HONESTY: Mom, I love you and thank God for your influence on my life. You are the kindest, most patient lady I know, and you give constantly. Thanks for the example you've set before me. And thanks for making my life important to you. :) You truly are the best!

We started off the day of celebration at the pumpkin patch... with all the kiddo's!

Kathryn dressed up for the occasion-- that cute lil' punkin!

Birthday kisses for GIGI!

Beautiful ladies! 

These two... oh my, what a mess! Thank God for their love for HIM and their love for
each other... which pours down into a love for all of us kids.
I am one blessed girl.

Happy Birthday, mom!!!! Thanks for letting us all celebrate with you!!!

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Nahum 1:7-- The LORD is GOOD, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He KNOWS those who trust in Him.

The Lord gave this verse to me today as I was sitting in Subway in Columbia. I had to travel to the forbidden city to take a license exam, and while mom and I were eating lunch before my exam God pressed this passage on my heart. For years this has been one of the clutch verses  God has given me much comfort through in pressure situations. To know that God KNOWS those who trust in Him, and to know that HE IS A STRONGHOLD- what a gift. What an amazing God. What a GOOD God.

One thing I love about this verse is the fact that it points to the character of God as fact. God is good. God is a stronghold. God knows us.

No matter the outcome of life's circumstances, God is good. All the time!

(PS. TONIGHT Rach and Bryan had Sarah and me over to their new property for a bonfire. Shout out to Rach :) the most incredible property owner I've EVER known! So thankful for the Burtons!)