30-Day Photo Challenge Day 30

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Without a doubt, this post belongs to Shelley Chambers!!!
Wow, I miss her! It was hard when she and Pastor Mike and the kids moved to Poplar Bluff, Missouri ... 6 hours away ... but now that they live 27 hours away in Prescott, Arizona??? Oh my goodness. Someday, I WILL get out there to see them! But until then, I'll just have to cry when I hear her voice on the phone (ahem ... just yesterday). Haha!

It's amazing how close you can get to your youth pastors. Wow. For me, it's a bond I have a hard time describing. When people love you, really love you, and pour into your life ... invest their time, energy, advice, love, encouragement, hope (and more importantly, God's hope) into you ... it really sticks with you. Maybe that's why I'm still in youth ministry? :) I think so. I want to invest in young people the same way Pastor Mike and Shelley invested in me. It is a very rare gift. Sure, there are youth pastors out there ... some good ones! ... but I had the best! :)

Shelley listened to me; she laughed with me (and at me :)); she sacrificed lots of time and energy to love and spend time with me; she was a source of strength and encouragement and support. And what's so great is that she STILL is!!! :) Years after I've graduated, 27 hours away ...

*Big sigh* ... And so yes, I really miss her. Love you, Shelley!

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 29

Day 29 - A picture that always makes you smile :)

Haha! I am smiling just thinking about looking at this picture. Such good memories come from this picture. It's of me and a very dear friend of mine, Jon Adamson. Haha! This guy is such a nut. We are a great pair of friends! This picture was taken at CIY (a youth conference), the summer after I graduated from high school. What a couple of dorks. I love this picture! This picture always makes me smile when I see it 'cause that week at CIY was tons of fun ... but also because Jon means a lot to me. We've been friends since I was in the 8th grade ... that's a long time. Hmmm ... about 10 years. Crazy. We've had lots of fun together over the years - playing basketball, singing on the worship team, singing specials with Uncle Mike, recording tracks in Uncle Mike's studio (lots of singin' huh? Great fun!), being in youth group together, going for coffee, sitting in the car listening to Southern Gospel music (and even, dare I say? Weird Al - ha!), hangin' out with his family and the Cooks ... tons of great times. He never ceases to make me smile or laugh. Just a very dear friend. So I can't help but smile when I see this seriously goofy picture of us. Too funny!

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 28

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

Whew! This is not a fun one to write about. :(
For as long as I can remember, I've been absolutely devastated when friendships, relationships of any kind, go awry. If I offend someone or someone dislikes me or I've hurt someone in some way or I've acted like a fool or someone is disappointed in me for some reason or a say something nasty or thoughtless or ... need I say more? If someone I know has been hurt by me in anyway, I just die inside. I have to reconcile as soon as possible. And if something can't be reconciled? Oh, my. Jesus, help me. And so, yes. Needless to say, my greatest fear is broken relationships.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 27

Day 27 - A picture of you and a family member

My Aunt Peggy is so awesome! I don't get to see her very often. Like nearly all of my other family members, I only see Aunt Peggy once or twice a year ... usually at Thanksgiving and sometimes at one other family get-together throughout the year. And when I see her, I don't usually get to talk with her too much. But every time I see her, she is always a great encouragement to me. I think one reason she's so encouraging is because she smiles all the time. :) She's always so positive when I see her. And she believes in the Lord and what He's doing. All good reasons to think her encouraging, right? And, I think, without fail, Aunt Peggy always tells me how beautiful I am. Points for her! ;) Haha! But seriously, isn't that always one of the best compliments, best words of encouragement, you can get? Someone telling you you're beautiful? Oh, it always lifts my day! She always tells me that I'm beautiful and that she's proud of me. And ya know ... that may seem small, but wow, it is big! Don't you agree? And it doesn't matter that I don't see Aunt Peggy often or that we don't get to talk much. I know that she loves me. And that's what matters the most. So Aunt Peggy, if you're reading this ... Thank you so much for always encouraging me. It does so much more than you know! Love you! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 26

Day 26 - A picture of someone who means a lot to you

I am incredibly blessed to have so many dear friends in my life. Sooo blessed! But I have to pick Uncle Mikey for this post. Uncle Mike and I go way back. One of my favorite things about our friendship is just that ... we've been friends for going on 19 years, since I was 6 years old. :) I'll never forget the Masterson-Cook get-togethers every week after church. Yeah, there were other families who joined us ... but the Mastersons and the Cooks were the two core families of these get-togethers. And so I've been so blessed to be apart of their family in a lot of ways and for them to be apart of mine. Uncle Mike and Jen and Adam are definitely like a second family to me. Uncle Mike and I have done lots together over the years - in addition to the Masterson-Cook family get-togethers every week ... I've spent tons of time over at Uncle Mike and Jen's house watching movies, eating yummy food, playing the wii, hanging out with the guys (Adam, Jon, Jason, Jarrod) and their honeys (Kristina, Melissa, and Susan), singing and making tracks in Uncle Mike's studio, swimming in their pool, drinking hot chocolate and eating popcorn, watching Chuck, having late-night conversations (usually after Chuck) about fun, serious, and silly things ... and I'm sure I could think of more if I thought long and hard enough about it. We've had many heart-to-heart conversations, and he's told me so many priceless Uncle Mike jokes (if you know him, you know the kind I'm talking about). :) He's taken me out for dinner. We've gone to Southern Gospel concerts before. So many wonderful memories with this dear friend. :)

Uncle Mike is my Chuck buddy, my singin' buddy, someone who never fails to make me laugh and make my day better, and we share a bond that is incredibly special to me. He really is my UNCLE Mikey. And I am so grateful to know him. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 25

Day 25 - A picture of your favorite season

Without a doubt, my favorite season is fall!!!!
It's gorgeous ... not too hot and not too cold ... great weather for walks in the park, playing sports, puttin' on jackets and sweatshirts ... and toward the end of the season, hats, scarfs, and gloves ... the leaves change colors; the leaves "crumple" beneath your feet ... you can see your breath in the air ... 50-degree weather and 60-degree weather (my all-time favorite weather!) ... some rain, which I also like ... fall is just the perfect season! Love it! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 24

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Reading.
I wish I could like reading.
Although I am trying to change this ... I think it's gonna be a process. I have to really like a book to read it for more than a few minutes at a time, day after day. Occasionally, I find one. I'm reading A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. It's about a 500-page book. I think I started it the day after Christmas, and I'm on page 361. That's pretty awesome for me. So I'm working on changing the fact that I don't like to read. But it's still pretty hard to pick up a book a lot of the time.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 23

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Ah ha! I was able to get two in one picture!
Books are hard for me ... hard to narrow down, believe it or not, since I don't like to read ... but they are also hard because I don't comprehend or retain very well. So ... when I tell you that these two are my favorite books it's hard to tell you why. And of course you want to know WHY. ;) The titles of these books say a lot ... "Calm My Anxious Heart" and "Having a Mary Spirit." And like all good titles, they sum up what each book is about. But, to be truthful, I don't remember any specifics about these books ... I only remember that, in the season of life in which I read them, they changed my perspective. And believe me, if you don't know it already, texts that change your perspective on life, God, trials, anything really, are invaluable! :) And that's what I remember from these books ... that they taught me some great lessons when I read them ... ha! Too bad I can't remember those lessons. Too ridiculous, huh? But again, they were invaluable THEN. And so they are my favorite books for the time being ... until some other books come along and teach me some more perspective-changing lessons, I guess. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 22

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were (naturally) better at

Singing.
I can do a little more than carry a tune in a bucket ... but I'm a pretty average singer all in all. Which is great. I'm thankful I can sing. I got to be in Warrior Choir and Encore and Music Shoppe while I was in high school and Delegation in middle school. And those were some of the best experiences of my life - especially Encore - Danville's show choir. Wow, that was a blast!
I've done some singing throughout my life ... but I've always struggled. I love harmony - I'd prefer to sing it over the melody just about any day ... but wow, is it tough! I can hear some harmonies on my own but not many. And man, it takes me such a long time to learn harmonies I don't naturally hear. I would love to sing trios and quartets with Uncle Mike and the guys at church more often (all the time, really!) ... but it takes me so long to learn parts ... I don't like to bother them with my "slowness."
I love Southern Gospel music. I love trying to hear the different parts and sing with the singers. And I'd love to sing more Southern Gospel with the guys ... oh, to be a better singer!
But again ... I need to be thankful. But the challenge did ask for a picture of something I wished I were better at ... and singing is what I pick. Just being honest. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 21

Day 21 - A picture of your favorite late-night snack

You may find yourself craving some yumminess from time to time, but you scour your fridge and pantry and cubbards and find no ice cream or oreos or pie or donuts ... or anything with the tons of carbs and sugar that you so desperately crave. So what do you do? Well, let me tell you. You take graham crackers ... left over from your last bonfire. You take some chocolate chips (only semi-sweet chips for me!) for your next cookie baking day. And you take some peanut butter (preferably crunchy, if you're like me). And put 'em altogether; nuke 'em in the microwave; and you have a delightfully delicious treat that has all the carbs and the sugar and the yumminess factor that you so desire. Yep, chocolate peanut butter graham crackers are a yummy late-night treat for me ... and for you - try 'em! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 20

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you wanna travel

NEW ZEALAND!!!!
Oh, yeah! Ever since I first saw the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I've wanted to see New Zealand. Man, it looks incredible! I'd love to go hiking through the sites ... maybe hot air ballooning. But just bask in God's beauty for a few days. I know it would be entirely incredible - maybe even life-changing.
Yep, if I could go anywhere ... New Zealand would be the place - fo sho!!! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 19

Day 19 - A picture of your favorite dessert

Porch blueberry pie is definitely the winner! Mmm ... scrumptious! If for no other reason, you must stop by for lunch at The Porch sometime to try my mom's crust. Oh my goodness, it is delicious! She uses the same crust for her blueberry pie, strawberry rhubarb pie, and chicken pot pie. You will not taste better crust. And you probably won't taste better food than what we serve at The Porch!

The Porch
Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 2pm.
2411 E. Main St. Danville, IN 46122 (across from Beasley's Orchard)
Come try us out for lunch sometime!!! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 18

Day 18 - A picture of something you think everyone should try

CHOCOLATE CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES!!!!!!
Oh my goodness, these are good!!! Probably the best cookie I've ever eaten and one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth! They are so stinkin' good!!!
Heather brought them to youth group one night a couple months ago, and I took one bite and instantly became Bob (ya know ... "What about Bob?" at the dinner table?)!

1 package of fudge brownie mix
1 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of veggie oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of water
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, oats, oil, eggs, and water - stir with a fork until combined. Dough will be stiff. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookies sheets.
Bake 12 minutes or until just barely set in the center.
Let cool, and DEVOUR JOYFULLY!!! :D

Woot, woot! Just in case you want to try 'em. I'm off to my kitchen to make some now!!!! Yummy!!! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 17

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

My "This Season" blog post/facebook note that I put up recently kind of gives a vague back story of what this John 20:29 picture is really all about. The short story is that the past year of my life has been the most challenging year ever - spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Between some crazy life lessons, depression, whacked out emotions, and physical ailments, my life was a mess in 2011. Starting a few months back ... I think it was sometime in early October ... God really started teaching me some things. The young women's Bible study that we did at my church over the book, Lies Women Believe, was a huge factor in helping me learn a very important lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I've blogged about it before, but the recap is that during 2011, the trials I faced threw me into a crisis of faith. I really struggled to believe that God is good. I played the pain card ... just like so many people do. My faith was rocky. I would ask the question, "How could a good God allow this junk into my life?" I struggled with my faith, my calling, my position in life, my thoughts, my attitude, my life ... for months. And Lies Women Believe ... the very first lie of the book addressed my question - "Is God really good?" The lie is that He is NOT good. But the simple and undying Truth is that He IS good. And as I wrestled with this TRUTH, for weeks upon weeks, I finally came to re-realize and re-accept that GOD IS GOOD. And I learned, through all of my wrestling and seeking God, that God is good (and faithful) ... and His Goodness and Faithfulness is totally unrelated to me ... and unrelated to how much I need Him to be Good and Faithful. He is Good, and He is Faithful not because I need Him to be to survive this existence but because HE IS. All by Himself. All for His own glory. And as I rolled this Truth over in my mind, I continued to see how mighty our God really is. He is Good, and He is Faithful because that's who He is ... and it's all for His glory ... and yet, He shares His Goodness and Faithfulness with me every single day ... by giving me my every breath, by providing me with food and shelter and clothes to wear ... by giving me incredible parents ... by teaching me more about life and purpose and Himself ... and the list goes on. A God that big and great doesn't need me. He doesn't need to give me even just glimpses of His Goodness and Faithfulness ... but He does. *Big Sigh* Wow! ... Get excited about this people!!! This is incredible stuff!!!! And all because we serve an incredibly perfect and gracious and giving God! :D

But I still haven't told you about this picture. I took this picture at the Calvary Ladies' Retreat this past October. It's an awesome picture for a few reasons. First of all, God had spoken this verse into my heart and mind a few weeks earlier, giving me a HUGE revelation about my current circumstances and about His will for my life. Incredible, right? It's also an awesome picture because I was using this verse as one of my key talking points in my talk at the ladies' retreat (the theme being based on the book Lies Women Believe - still cool, I know!). But I like this picture the most because I found it hanging above a door on a cabin at the camp. When I first arrived at camp, I couldn't remember which path to take to get to the lodge - I took the wrong path. But on this path was a row of cabins, each with a verse hanging above the door. And whatta ya know ... my verse! The verse God had been pressing upon my heart for weeks, teaching me so much! ... I remember sitting in the car for a second, tears coming to my eyes (no, I didn't cry ... but it crossed my mind), and laughing to myself. I wouldn't have found that verse on that cabin if I had taken the right path to the lodge. Wow. ... And so this picture is very important to me. A huge gift from God, really. It is a constant reminder to me that I must BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING. I must BELIEVE that God is Good, that God is who He says He is, that God is Faithful, that God is working at all times and in all seasons of my life ... even when I can't SEE what He's up to. I don't wanna be like Doubting Thomas who had to SEE Jesus' nail-pierced hands and side before he could believe Jesus had risen from the dead. I want to be Mical Masterson, the woman who believed in her Savior with her whole heart, never wavering, always believing without seeing. Oh, Lord ... that's what I want. Please help me become that woman of faith.

And that's why this picture has made such a huge impact on my life recently. A long-winded post, but wasn't it worth it?

Lord God, keep growing me into the woman you've created me to be. Pick me up when I fall. Help me keep running the race, even in blind moments ... help me believe in you! Thank you, Jesus, for your call. Thank you choosing me and teaching me and loving me. You are Faithful, and you are Good. Be glorified in me today and always. I love you, Lord.

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 16

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Yep, you can't be surprised. ;) ... I recently posted about my heroes - my family - so I thought I'd write about someone new for this one. And yep, Tim Tebow is the one. Someone who inspires me. :)
I've been getting some flak for being such a big fan of Tim, but the way I see it ... who better to root for than someone who loves and promotes Jesus??? And he does! :)

I am so incredibly excited to watch Tim's life. He genuinely loves Jesus and wholeheartedly lives his life for Jesus. And not only that, but he's so constant, unwavering, and humble! He doesn't get worked up about all the negative, and even down-right mean, responses he gets. It all rolls right off his back. He just loves Jesus. The end. And he doesn't care who knows it. In fact, he wants people to know it! His passion, humility, kindness, and genuine love for Jesus are incredibly inspiring and just a flat out gift from God.

Go, Tebow, go!!! :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 15

Day 15 - A picture of something you wanna do before you die

I wanna run a mini marathon!!!
I probably should get crackin' on this and stop making excuses. But alas, I still haven't started training one of these crazy things! Over the past several years, I've wanted to be a runner. But wow, is it hard! Dancing is quite a bit more fun and not quite as bad on my already "old lady" knees. Although, after doing Zumba over the past few weeks, my knees would beg to differ.
But yes ... I hope one day to get myself to start running again ... and to run 13.1 miles all at once! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 14

Day 14: A picture of someone you can't imagine your life without

Yeah. This picture sure does make me smile. Hannah and I had a great day the day this picture was taken ... a great week ... a great car ride. We went to Mackinac Island for a few days - such good times! But even more importantly, I smile at this picture because it is of me and one of my most cherished, dear, true friends - ever! Hannah Joy Baker. Yep. I definitely can't imagine my life without her. She and I are what we like to call one another, Cookie Cutter Friends ... CCFs for short. :) A CCF is very special ... someone God cut out of the friendship cloth at the beginning of time just for YOU. Or in this case ... ME. :) God knew I needed Hannah. And God knew Hannah needed me. It's kinda cool how that works, huh? CCFs are those friends who know you the best, stick with you the longest, love you the deepest, and share with you the most. They are incredibly God-shaped and God-given friendships that, once started, can't be lived without. Another special part of my friendship with Hannah is that we are in a similar season of life ... and we have been for awhile --- Single. Bucket List-ers. Exploring our independence. Strong. Beautiful. Care-free. FREE. Open-minded. Open-hearted. God-seekers, God-followers, God-lovers. Growing and being challenged in our faith. And I'm sure I could keep going. And because of all these things, we can share so much together - and we do. :)

Hannah is an incredible friend - beautiful, kind, a prayer warrior, a good listener, supportive, enthusiastic, and just plain runnin' the same race I am. I am so incredibly, entirely, and completely thankful for that woman! Love you, Hannah! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 13

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band/artist

Oh, yeah! He's beltin' it! hahaha! My favorite singer of all time is David Phelps!!!! Wow, he's amazing! Incredible vocalist! Whoa! I remember the first time I heard David Phelps sing, and from that point on, I was hooked - fo sho!

My mom bought Mark Lowry on Broadway ... a VHS ... probably from a Goodwill. At the time, I hadn't really heard much about Mark Lowry, Bill Gaither, or the Gaither Vocal Band. So I watched the video, and David Phelps and the Gaither Vocal Band sang a couple of songs. First, I heard David sing "A Whole New World" with Sandi Patti. Oh my gosh! Then, he sang with the GVB, and if the deal wasn't already sealed - it was by then! Wow! He is the greatest singer ever!!! And he loves Jesus, even better.

If you don't know who I'm talking about, go to youtube (right now!), and find some of his music - as a solo artist, with GVB, even find the Whole New World song! He's really good, to say the least. :)

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 12

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Yep, you can't be surprised. If you know me at all, you know I love sweet tea! ... I had to find a picture that said "sweet" tea because it has to be sweet. I won't drink tea if it's not sweet. Mmm, it's so good! And The Porch makes the best tea around - and it so many yummy flavors! Good stuff, indeed.

Sweet tea ... a comfort drink, an addiction, and oh, so yummy! :D

30-Day Photo Challenge Day 11

Day 11 - A picture of your favorite movie

Mmm ... oh, yeah! I think I've finally narrowed my favorite movie down to one - Sense and Sensibility. Yeah! Gosh, I love this movie. A lot of heartbreak, a lot of love, a great story line, and the wonderful Colonel Brandon. Need I say more? :)