Inspiration

I have been thinking today on inspiration that gets me through the day.  Inspiration that helps me succeed or motivate me to be better.  This kind of inspiration, I thought, would come from a great book, an influential man, and in my mind a sports icon.  However, as I pondered what to write today and how to best inspire you... I thought about a conversation - this conversation has helped me look at life a little differently... so here is the story.



Nerves, that's the good part - ride that adrenaline.



I don't exactly know where it happened or even when, I just remember the text message I got that changed my perspective on competition.  For years I have been petrified getting up on stage and playing the piano.  It has never been something I enjoyed doing.  Now, sit me down in front of 88 ivory keys in the comfort of my own home and I will tickle those ivories until my fingers sweat.  The thought of getting in front of the crowd on the Miss Arkansas stage just about made me sick in the stomach.  One day last spring I was texting my friend from Baylor, Ashley, and was telling her how how nervous I was about playing in front of people.  She confidently text me.  



Nerves, that's the good part - ride that adrenaline.  




Ashley :




An All-American Selection in 2006 & 2007, Ashley was a first team All-Big 12 Conference honoree and named player of the week for three consecutive weeks. She holds the Baylor Career Record Holder for home runs per game, RBI's per game, slugging percentage, on base percentage, hits, doubles, games played and started. Career-record holder for slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Upon graduating from Baylor, 

Ashley was one of 36 players invited to attend the 2007 Olympic Camp. 

She was then drafted to the National Pro Fastpitch League and the Professional Fastpitch Extreme (PFX) tour. Ashley is still active in the game, playing first base and left field for the PFX Tour, which includes 30 top caliber professional players.




Nerves, that's the good part - ride that adrenaline.


Ashley is a hard worker and I was so honored to work with her the year I was at Baylor and look forward to going back because she was a great friend. Ashley obviously knows what she is talking about when she said those words to me. Being a professional athlete causes you to look at things differently and she was able to impart a little of that knowledge with me and I am so blessed. .  But think about those words.  Ride that adrenaline.  Ride it.  How many times are you nervous or scared of the unknown - it could be a presentation or a conference, even something as simple as a phone call - but the adrenaline we have is looked at as a negative emotion or feeling.  




What Ashley empowered me to do was view the adrenaline, that butterflies in your stomach feeling, as a positive motivator and use that to do your best.  I did.  And after changing my mindset completely I was able to push through the shaking hands and the butterfly feeling and do the best that I ever had.  It is a quote, a feeling, and a way of life that I will always remember and I will always strive to live out.



Nerves, that's the good part - ride that adrenaline.

The Going is Getting Tougher.

You’ve heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” But what happens if the going isn’t just tough, but impossible? What happens when you’re giving it all you’ve got, but all you’ve got is nothing? It’s then we often think, “What if I’m on the wrong path? It can’t be this hard, this messed up. God has promised to make a way, but all I see is a wall.”

I think at times God purposefully brings His people to this point. If you have no strength, no ability to move forward, then when accomplishments do happen, everyone knows—it wasn’t you; it was God.

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” 1Cr 1:27

In our weakness, then He is permitted to be strong, and the whole world will see Him through our trials. I feel like right now I am facing the impossible and it seems completely ridiculous to move forward. Foolish to even try. Yet we see again and again in the Bible that our God is the God of the silly and impossible. Think of the Israelites marching around Jericho thirteen times. That’s pretty silly. But they followed the journey God requested of them, and He tore that wall down.

Think of young David flinging a stone at a giant. That’s not only silly, it’s downright foolish! Yet God brought Goliath down. Think of Jesus, trying to feed thousands of people with just a bit of bread and fish—that’s impossible, too. Time after time we are shown His power in the Bible and even now if you look closely you will begin to see the awesomeness of Jesus and his miracles everyday in our life.

Why should today be any different? I speak from personal experience when I tell you that our God is still the God of the silly and impossible, right now in 2011! He is still a God who asks us to go on that difficult journey so that our faith will grow, His grace will abound, and all glory will be given to Him.



“…We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Rom. 5:3-4

So next time you face that impossible wall—know that our God is just waiting for you to hand it over to Him. All He asks of us is that we keep walking. And just like I will continue to walk in Waco, not knowing where my path will take me. I walk in obedience. And with the power of God before me, I know that my path will be prepared for me and if I trust in him all else will fall into place.

I thought I would introduce you to my friends. I couldn't find a good 700 club picture - so it is a group shot of my core group of friends.











Theses are my best friends. These are the girls that have shaped and molded me into the friend, Christian, and confident woman that I am. I am for ever grateful for these girls. To the point at hand: most of theses girls participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters, however, I did not. I never had the patience nor the "time" to give to such a frustrating task of picking up children and Mentoring to them. It was not until my senior year that I started getting involved with my cousins kid. I started to kind of like it. Well, guess what I signed up for last week? BBBS in Waco. I am really excited! I can't wait to be placed with a little kid! Yay! God is moving. I am finally ALLOWING him to move.

I drove to Dallas to go to church with Meg, my cousin, last week and the teaching was over opening the door to pure thoughts or the devil. It was really cool to think about. He said God is waiting at the door to help you, but you HAVE to open the door! Wow! You must do the opening, God will not kick down the door. You have to choose to open it. Do it!

I've decided that I will do it. I am going to give my time to God. And it will be good.

Friday is the last day in the book room and today I am in the athletic building with my office mate Ashley. She played softball here 4 years ago send is a GA with me. We have had fun so far. Tonight I will be going to this back to school party thing for the athletes with Ashley so that will be fun! I am looking forward to it.

Also I called Harris Creek Baptist Church this morning and signed up for a life group! I am branching out and I know this week will be great despite some walls that are crumbling in life. God is always enough!

Today is my Grandmother's Birthday! Happy Birthday Grandmary I am so thankful for you!










Have a Charmed day!!

Abby.

Location:Common Grounds, Waco.

Prayer

I have really been convicted lately about prayer.  When I say I am praying for you - it shouldn't be just a shout up to God whenever I think about it.  It should be a consistent effort to pray for your needs and requests.  You know how every once and a while you will get stuck on a word.   Well the word that I have been stuck  on is Active.  My God is an Active God.  You hear of God being a gracious and loving God - but how many times do we actually stop and think about how active God is in our life.  I am amazed at the things God does in my life on a daily basis.  He never sits back and says oh you prayed for that 2 weeks ago I think I will help you with that later... he is constantly there for us!  He is Always with us - always around and always wanting us to ask for his help! Because it is when we allow him to work through us that he is glorified - no, he does not need us to be glorified- just take the sunset or the sunrise.. God does it all by himself.   But when we allow him to work through us and let HIM show us how ACTIVE he is in our life - I tell you what - EXPECT to see great things!

So the other day I was eating lunch with my friend Kelsey.  Kelsey is about to leave for India on a 3 year commitment to missions.  WOW! God blesses some people with a heart for missions in other countries and I am blessed by them.  Kelsey and I were sitting at lunch and I had been challenged earlier that day to let God work in our lunch time together.  As we were eating and talking about life and catching up (we had not seen each other since high school) - I asked her if there was anything I could pray about for her.  She really needs more support and more monetary funds for her journey to India.  She is looking for about $300 more a month for 36 months.  So if you can help - please let me know, if you can't - please pray for her and her journey and that God provides which we know he will!    I asked if I could pray over our lunch and for our situations in life and she agreed, so I began to pray and I mean wow - i felt the holy spirit around us.  He was with us there at lunch.  It was an incredible feeling.  It was so incredible that a girl at the table next to us commented on our prayer and asked us about what we were doing.  It was an awesome time to share what God was doing in our life.  To see God glorified and HIS NAME BE MADE KNOWN - through a casual lunch is so encouraging to who God is.  Be challenged to continue to pray for your friends and loved ones as the journey into new phases of life.

I wanted to share one more thing I thought was cool before I start talking about my life.  Because it is all about me right?  NOT!  that was so a joke and I hope you know that - honestly.  

Okay great movie:  Evan Almighty !  Bad theology - yes, Depicts the Bible correctly - no!  Great movie lines - OF COURSE!

So being with Taylor has really gotten me to notice and remember and quote movie lines.  Its crazy has someone can have such an incredible impact on your life.  Each and everyone of us has at least one person in which we influence on a daily basis - remember that!  People are watching you and a lot of them look up to you!

OKay - back to the point... A _D_D!  

In this movie Morgan Freeman says:

"Let me ask you something.  If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience, or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?  If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him the opportunities to be courageous?  If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

How much truth is in that statement.  As I prepare to leave for Baylor in Waco, TX tomorrow a lot of feelings are running through my mind.  I am anxious and scared of the road ahead of me, but I am also sad and heartbroken to leave the ones I love in Arkansas.  It will be hard, but through all of it do I mope and sit in despair or should I look at what God has in store for me.  I have prayed for people to be placed in my life so that I can impact them on a very intense level.  Is that going to happen with me sitting at home? Maybe, but maybe God is putting me in a position to do that in Waco.  Now yes I would love to impact from Little Rock, but obviously that isn't where God needs me.  I have also been praying for perseverance and strength in my relationships - well nothing says perseverance and strength like Long Distance.  This quote really made me look at what I had been praying for to see how God might be using me in Waco.  DO NOT GET ME WRONG _  I am completely sad and miserable and have been crying all night about this move - but deep down I have solace that God will provide and I have a loving family and a wonderful boyfriend supporting me with open arms when I come back (which will be soo soon!!) 

Have I told y'all about Taylor?  He is pretty much amazing.  We are going to eat with the Mafia today at lunch.  It's going to be soo fun!  If you don't know who the mafia is... it is the Gosser Klan!  THere are soo many of us and we call ourselves the mafia because everywhere we go - we see a family member.  So watch out - you cross me... i've got the mafia.  JUST kidding!  no but seriously we are everywhere!

My life in pictures!

Found this on my google reader thanks to kati baldwin! Inside this wax paper sack (white square on the back of heart) is bird seed for a wedding!  How cute!

Laura Leigh made this bug for a project at school out of paper mache - if you can't tell it is holding 10 cupcakes.  hmmm wonder where she got that idea!  she loves her big sister!! and i love her - wow! I am going to miss that little goober!

Friday was my last day of workout before leaving for Waco with my trainer Julie!  She knew I had been craving a lemon tangy cupcake since my diet - and so she brought me one from cupcakes on kavanaugh!!  How sweet is she.  Kind of defeats the purpose of workout - but I engulfed that sucker!  It was soo good.  And as you can see I am wearing a sweatshirt!  I have been soo cold despite to extreme heat we have been experiencing in Little Rock. 

Me and Laura Leigh decided to tie-dye yesterday before the rehearsal dinner with Taylor - this is how it's done ladies and gentleman:

1. Swirl your shirts - and rubberband them!

2. Put something on the ground!  and dye your shirts!  Do not forget to wet your shirts with water it soaks up the dye better.  

3.  Wrap in Seran Wrap for 6-8 hours or however long.  I am ADD so i left mine there for 2 days ha OOPS!  My shirts are the 3 on the stop and Laura Leigh's are on the bottom.

This is the kit from Walmart that we used it was $24.95 and included a ton of colors.  We dyed 6 shirts and we ran out of almost every color - so I would recommend this kit if you are doing a lot of shirts.

Then Laura Leigh made cupcakes they are called FunCakes - don't ask thats such a weird name.  But they were sooo good!

I am soooo soooo sooo proud of Taylor.  He officiated his first wedding tonight and let me tell you one thing - I am the most proud girlfriend in the whole world right now.  He did marvelous and was so eloquent and spoke very meaningfully to the new couple!  He spoke on the positions and duties of a husband and wife in a relationship and encouraged them both to carry out those jobs and not to forget them.  I think he is a keeper!  The wedding was fun I got to see a lot of his friends and meet the girlfriends which were so sweet and very talkative!  It was a very fun night!  oh and the food was great.. but I forgot to taste the wedding cake.  WHAT! i know I am soo silly!

May your prayers always be answered.  May your life always be full.  May your path always look inviting and may you always have great friends on the sidewalk of your journey!  But most of all, 

May you be charmed in the Bliss of the Lord - and may that be your daily strength.

Be Blessed.  Be Charmed.  Be Happy.

Abby