The Alexander Triplets

I had the privilege of photographing the Brianna, Brian, and Brent Alexander this past weekend. They were so much fun to photograph and interact with. We all go to NGU and I know each of them separately so it was fun to get off campus and visit with all three of them!

"Traveling" by Jason Castro

I like this photography thing! I'm still working on getting slideshows how I want them.

"Martha, Martha"

Luke 10

(38) As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. (39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  (40) But Martha was distracted by all the preparation that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!" (41) "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I've been reading through Luke again and after my frustrations of the past few days I said, "God, show me something in here that will give me an answer, or something."  He didn't flip the pages or magically let the Bible fall open to Luke 10; He used what I was already using for my Bible Time.  Simple as it was this passage has such a great meaning.  It did back then and it does today.  We get caught up in a lot of things...

Teachers get caught up in a syllabus when what really matters is if the students are learning.

Brides get caught up in the wedding planning when what really matters is the marriage & relationship.

Martha got caught up in preparing her home for Jesus and what really mattered was her heart.  She missed the opportunity to sit at His feet and soak up every word from His mouth.

This is not to say that serving someone is always wrong.  Or that "sitting and listening" is always right.  Martha thought she was doing what was right, Mary did too.  Evaluate the situations and opportunities...

 Don't become distracted.

Where's the line?

I'm struggling with a lot of opportunities now-a-days.  They are coming at me left and right.  I have a tendency to get busy and it's not like I just stay right there, even more things get added to the busy lifestyle.  I don't want to live to get things done.  I want to live.  To live is Christ and to die is gain.  As of now He has blessed me with life, so what am I going to do with it?  My biggest goal for this semester was to focus on my school work and my relationships(God & people), and then I can do some other stuff.  Saying "no" is an art that is very rare and foreign to me.  I feel burnt out just thinking about these new opportunities and don't have a peace about any of them.  With classes I have loads of reading to do and apparently I read slooooooooooow.  I need quality time with God and my special people.  

Where is the line?  The line of being right where God wants me and of doing too much?  All through high school and college I have sped past that line and thrown myself into a whirlwind of things I could never give my all too because I was spread too thin.

Now to Human biology and Art Appreciation reading.  I'm writing this as a request for prayer, not an answer to you or any of these opportunities.

Saturday will be a nice break and a great time to leave everything behind, I'm taking Jeff on a Surprise Saturday :) 

Some shots :)

Leaving my favorites campers 

Home sweet Home to my dear nephews and their canonballs!

Visiting with the best girls in the world

Exploring a waterfall in Jocassee

I love him, finally got to see his handsome face

And so it begins...

Apologies first and foremost for never updating this summer.  Check the facebook pictures for an almost day-to-day look at my AMAZING summer in Virginia Beach.

Let's see...I came home Tuesday August 4th and had an amazing, slam packed time at home with family and friends and some road trips in between :)  I moved in August 17th with Jessica Tooley!  The room is a very fun and bright one!  School is going well and classes will be a good amount of hard work, but fun.

What's the biggest thing I've learned since school has started?  In the last week God has shown me how self-centered I am when it comes to the social life of school.  I'm consumed with worries of making every one happy, doing what everyone wants me to do, and even down to making sure I have someone to sit with when I go to the caf...ALL so every one likes me.  Everyone doesn't have to like me.  I'm still processing all of this, but the past few days it's been brought to my attention through conversations, church messages, chapel, and the Crusade that we aren't here to be liked we are here to spread the gospel, to love people, and bring glory to God.  

So what's going to change?  My thinking and motives have changed...When I enter a class I don't approach people so that they will like me.  It's so they'll see the love of Jesus.  Pray for me to be filled with the love of Jesus so they feel it.  It's a must that I check my motives EVERY day.

**One Liners**

Football season is here :)  

"Taylor Ann Bridges" will be here September 11th

Brashier 2B is where it's at

I dropped Intro to Political Science for the second time

2 blank canvases are on the wall.

they will be painted.  soon.

Millie is a Freshman

I love her

James is assistant football coach

I miss Ashley King

Hello From Virginia Beach!!!

I've made the move up to the beautiful city of Virginia Beach!  From what I've seen, which is all of Walmart, the beach for 3 minutes, target, and subway, this place seems pretty cool!  I got here Sunday evening and started work on Monday morning!   The kampground staff has blown me away with their cheerfulness and willingness to help me get settled in and figure things out around the kampground.  I had no idea all the things I needed to figure out just to be able to plan this Memorial Day Weekend's events.  I'm still working on figuring the rules of the road here...I guess it will all come with time.     

 

My first official FunFinder as SummerShine Activities Director is complete and ready to be printed in the morning, I'll also get to post it around the kampground, put it into the packets in the store and personally hand it out to each kampsite!  I'm pumped!  We got to do a photo shoot for it which means get my sweet tripod and wrap it around the swingset for Josh, my only staffer so far, and myself to do fun yet corny poses!

So where am I living?  I have my own travel trailer on the kampground!  I will admit I expected different features, but am learning quickly just how special Camper 408 really is!  God has done a great work with getting me to be thankful for each thing in here.

What kind of things did I plan for this weekend?  I'm glad you asked, I've been dying to tell you... We have all kinds of fun activities planned to help you(the camper) make life long memories!  Top Your Own Sundaes, Flash Light Kandy Hunt, Manager's Breakfast Special, Krazy Kool Kraft Time (tye dye and other things), Funapalooza, Movie Night Under The Stars, BBQ, Roasted Toasted Kampfire, More breakfast, Prayer and Share, Scavenger Hunt, Kalabungya Kickball, Yard Sale, and Side Walk Chalkin...I am almost certain that I've forgotten a few activities in between, but one thing is for sure - I will not forget them this weekend.

It's just Josh and I for the big weekend!  Management was so great to give me him for all the activities instead of working him in the store or something.  I'm a firm believer in "I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me," but I'm also very thankful that I don't have to do all these activities alone.

 

Angelo, my other guy staffer, will be here on Sunday!!  I'm so excited for him!  This will be a great adventure and I'm so glad he is along for the ride!  Micah will be here in June.  I got to talk to her today and I could tell she was ready to get here!  Stephanie has joined the crew...still waiting to figure out when she will come.  God has provided an amazing staff!  Pray for us!!!

 

I still miss the family!  Mom has been a great source of encouragement for me with a letter and many conversations.  I got to call Ethan today and tell him I stepped in stinky dog poop...he thought that was funny.  I miss my friends and my Jeff too.  

Send me some love!

Virginia Beach KOA

attn:  Jenny Farnham

1240 General Booth Blvd

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

so this is life...

My life is crazy but I love it!

WOW!  Check out all the SummerShiners at Orientation!!!

We all had VIRGIN margaritas for Jessica's surprise birthday celebration.  Happy 21st!

Taylor, Blair, and I fixed dinner at Debbie and Eric's house!  

On a rare, free Saturday Jeff woke me up to watch the sunrise at Pretty Place!  It was my first time ever going there.  He had the whole day planned out! We then visited Bald Rock and went to NGU's spring football game.

After that we met Julie and Robert for a rock climbing adventure!  

It was so much fun!

Check out Indoor Climbing on Bulls road in Blue Ridge!

Jeff is so sweet!  I love spending time with him!

Then we celebrated Ethan's 5th birthday with a camo fish fry!

After that we had more quality time and conversation downtown.

I don't have much spare time, but enjoyed getting to paint this as a form of procrastination, what is shown is not the final product.  Hopefully I will get to do some more painting over my 2 weeks at home and some this summer...maybe.

This is the Impact Team that I help with on Tuesdays.  NGU students go to Pendleton Street Baptist Church and play with elementary students, feed them a snack, and lead a devotion.  The same thing happens when the middle school group comes is and then when the high school group comes.  This has been a learning experience for me, I wish I could have gone more often!

"He must become greater, I must become less."

John 3:30