Good Friends Friday, November 24, 2006

Ali is my hero. She drove all the way over to Knox-Vegas from Searcy this past weekend to visit us! Then, we all went to North Carolina to spend some time with Will, Shawna, and Gaines. It was a quick trip, but it was good for the soul. We soak up every moment we get to spend with these special friends.

Will is the youth minister for a church in Hendersonville, NC. On Sunday, they asked Erik and I to speak to their youth group about our relationship and Erik's journey of faith and how he accepted Christ when he was in college. It was very interesting talking to a group of high school kids. It was hard to tell if they were listening or if they were even interested in what we were saying, but Will assured us that they actually were interested (he could tell by their body language!) It kind of made me feel old :) Anyway, we prayed that we would be able to encourage them in thier own journeys of faith as they begin to break away from parents and hopefully begin a relationship with Jesus based on intrinsic motivation instead of being dragged to church, or told how to believe. We're so proud of Will and Shawna and the amazing work they're doing with that church.

Whoa...does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?!

A Weekend in the Smoky Mountains Monday, November 13, 2006

I love living in East Tennessee! These mountains have become part of my soul...I never get tired of visiting them and marveling at the beauty of God's creation. Erik and I spent last weekend in a cabin with some friends from church. It rained ALL day Saturday, but I took these pics before the clouds rolled in. This was the view off our balconey.

Good thing the guys were feeling photogenic, because the ladies definitely were NOT! This was the last morning we were there, 3 of the couples had already left, so these were the lucky ones to make it into the photo (sorry it's so dark).

This was the cabin we stayed in. Oops, is that a trash bag under the stairs?!

Derek Webb In Concert Monday, November 06, 2006

This past Friday night I went to the New City Cafe with Kevin and Chris to see Derek Webb. It was an incredible show! Even Sean McConnell, the opening act was amazing. I just wish we would have arrived a little earlier to see more of him.

Derek played a bunch of songs from his new album, Mockingbird, as well as some old stuff from the Caedmon's Call album 40 Acres. He has a lot to say about how we should live if we truly want to live like Christ has called us to. His lyrics, though sometimes cynical, really strike at the heart of what it means to be a Christ follower and not just a Christian in name only.

After the show, I got the opportunity to meet Derek and I must say, he was extremely kind and I was impressed at how he seemed to genuinely enjoy talking to each person that came up to him after the show. After everybody was done talking with him, I approached him and told him about how his music has had a lasting effect on me, but even more so on my brother, Mark. He once told me about how Derek's music made such a profound impact on his life and how it was a conduit in helping him come to a faith and love for Jesus that he hadn't yet known. I just wanted Derek to know that God was using him, through his music, to bring people to Jesus. He was quite humbled and very appreciative of the comment. Here's a picture that Kevin took with my cell phone. Sorry for the poor quality and the crazy guy in the background!

Speed Blog #4 - Chimney Tops Saturday, October 28, 2006

Saturday was big day. After the race for the cure, Sonya and I went hiking with Renee and Amber in the Smokies. We climbed the Chimney Tops trail and it was incredible. The trail was rediculously strenuous. At times, you had to use your hands to help pull yourself up to the next step. It was worse than climbing the stairs of a skyscraper, but worth every step. Just to be out in such beauty really makes you think about God and how BIG He really is. He created this world for us to enjoy while we are here doing His work...and man, did we enjoy it. Check out some of these pictures...

Speed Blog #3 - Race For The Cure Saturday, October 28, 2006

Sony and I ran in the race for the cure this past Saturday. This was a 5K race in downtown Knoxville, where funds and awareness are raised for breast cancer research. I ran under my goal of 30 minutes and came in at 29:29. Sonya totally schooled me and ran it in 26:35! You should've seen her pushing all of these little kids out of the way at the start. Heheh!! Actually, I never saw her do this, but what I did see was a guy puking his guts out a little before the finish. I almost lost it myself.


There were a bunch of teams at the race that all had their special shirts. The hospital that sonya works at also sponsored a team, which is who we ran with. Here's a picture of Sonya with her friend Renee, from work.