Weekend Fun and Back to the 'Burg

Bounce houses, Ferris wheels, roller coasters, tie dye, 3 new restaurants, and Dip N' Dots.  That's what my weekend consisted of.  I had so much fun my last weekend at home.  I am officially back at school now, all moved in, just have to put up a few more pictures and by a few I mean a whole wall full.

While I was away for a few days, one of my biggest blog inspirations, Erin from sweetnessitself.blogspot.com posted the sweetest comment on my post.  Did I practically scream from excitement?  You bet.

Since I've been back I've already hung out at my friends apartment and ate chicken nuggets and watched a chick flick with my leadership team.  I have a feeling it is going to be a good year.  God is going to move in awesome and powerful ways

Starbucks runs are my favorite, and this kid makes them even better.  Me and my Pop had gotten Starbucks that morning, so we were able to get a venti cold drink for only $2!  I love bargains, and I love Starbucks, so naturally I snatched that deal up when I had the chance.

I've also been so proud of my brother lately.  He has grown up so much this summer.  His long facebook status' about what God has placed on his heart or what he has been contemplating are astounding.  He is actually thinking about starting his own blog as well, so if you know him, you should encourage him to do it!  I love my brother to death and I miss him so much while I'm away at school!  Skipper, if you're reading this, stay out of my room! :P

I went to Dixie Donuts on Cary Street with my grandma on Friday and they were absolutely delicious!

I also went to a small Mexican restaurant in Cary Town on Friday called Don't Look Back.  I had the pulled chicken taco and the Costa Rican style black bean taco, which were both delicious.  The Costa Rican style black beans actually tasted like the black beans that I had in Costa Rica too!

Went to Inflation Nation on Friday night with my favorite teens and had so much fun, bouncing, dancing, and praising our Lord!

Had so much fun with my sweet friend Em at our local amusement park on Saturday.  Then she got baptized on Sunday night!  SO excited for her and for how the Lord is going to continue to use her.

Two awesome pictures from Instagram that Em took.  We are kinda obsessed with Instagram.  I absolutely love roller coasters and just rides in general, so being able to go one last time before heading back to school was great.  I love the feeling of your stomach going into your throat and the adrenaline rush that you get from the roller coasters.  I used to be afraid of roller coasters when I was younger, but man I didn't realize what I was missing!  Maybe I am an adrenaline junkie.

I believe that me and my twinsie made the best tie dye shirts.  We are pro tie dyers.  I had such a fun time making them with her!  She has such a sweet and loving spirit and is growing up into an absolutely beautiful woman of God!  I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me by putting her in my life!  I am so humbled that she looks up to me and that I have the wonderful opportunity of mentoring and loving on her.  I don't actually need to mentor her much anyway because she has wisdom and maturity far beyond her years.  She is going to do great things for the Kingdom!  I love my twinsie to the moon and back!  Twinsies forever! :)

Then came Sunday.  I went to church on Sunday morning just like I do every other Sunday morning of the year.  Little did I know that God would grab my attention and pull my heart through an Egyptian man.  He was talking about how Americans had become lazy in their ministry.  Whoa, that is exactly what God had been convicting me of in the last few weeks.

Last year there are times when I felt like I was being a "good" prayer leader, but God really spoke to me over this summer and I know that it is not anything I do that makes me a "good" prayer leader, but it is my willingness to say "YES!" to the Lord and grabbing every opportunity to minister to the girls that he puts in my life.  Last year, I sadly was very self-centered and didn't take every opportunity I had to love on my girls because I had something else that took top priority in my life.  I was spending time pleasing myself, when I needed to be focused on those precious girls.  There is so much more to college then how much fun I can have and how many Cookout milkshakes I can drink.

There is a hunger in my soul to be a woman who serves.  Who I am today will not be who I am tomorrow.  I need to choose to focus on the eternal things because nothing else of this world will last.  I long to be like Jesus.  Jesus is selfless and the ultimate servant.  Oh, how far I have to go...